6,743 Count My Voice!

This is the story of Mrs.

Jasodhiya Paswan, who wants her voice to be counted, not just on paper but in reality and there are thousands like her. In the year 2015, the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal 2015 initiated the country’s transition to a federal state, thereby providing an opportunity for local participation in government giving people a stronger voice in how their communities are governed.

The Local Level Election Act mandates that two of the ward members elected for each ward must be women and one of the two women must be a Dalit, in total of 6,743 wards.

The film tries to explore the dilemma of one of such locally elected representatives from the Terai region of Nepal, whereby belonging to a certain marginalized community is boon as well as a bane.

While her representation is a direct outcome of the aforementioned provision, the fact that the candidate has been elected by virtue of being a Dalit woman ironically prohibits her meaningful participation in the exercise of her rights and responsibilities as a Ward member.

She is just a proxy leader, with no say of her own in decision making and her role as a Ward member, which makes it only harder for her to live up to the expectations of the people who elected her.