Category: IGL Research Trips

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Understanding Sexual and Reproductive Health in Nepal

By Neya Krishnan

As I write, I am currently on my Qatar Airways flight from Kathmandu to Doha, marking the culmination of a truly extraordinary set of eight days in Nepal with the Tufts South Asian Regional Committee. From delicious thalis to unparalleled hospitality to informative and meaningful interviews, my time in Kathmandu has been filled with learning, wonder, and joy.
I came to Kathmandu looking to research the various factors that impact sexual and reproductive health in Nepal and the facilitators and barriers to access to reproductive healthcare and education in rural vs. urban regions. Over the past week, I spoke to various NGOs, community leaders, and ~unexpectedly~ various student activists who held a surprise menstrual health day flash mob in Patan Durbar Square. My conversations with these individuals who deeply care about the causes they advocate for, from undergraduate students to the founders and directors of major NGOs, inspired me and allowed me to crack beyond the surface of the reproductive health issue.


My first interview was on Tuesday with Jagadishwor Ghimre, country director of Ipas Nepal, an NGO focused on promoting the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls in Nepal through policy advocacy, training workshops, and more. One of the most interesting insights Ghimre offered was that policy decisions on abortion and contraceptive use in the United States have broad and far-reaching impacts on the funding of organizations such as Ipas in Nepal. In fact, Ghimre closely monitors changes in US policy, especially a potential Trump presidency, to plan accordingly for budget changes within Ipas. Later that day, I met with Dr. Suman Rawal, Disaster Risk Management Coordinator at ADRA Nepal, an NGO working in more than 50 Districts across all 7 of Nepal’s Provinces with programs that relate to Maternal and Newborn Health, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Family Planning among several other health realms. One notable insight Dr. Rawal revealed was ADRA’s role in supporting women during earthquakes by building several reproductive health camps and distributing dignity kits, even as recently as November 2023, in the Jajarkot district following the Karnali earthquake.


The next day, I attended a session one of our team members, Ishika, was able to set up with UNICEF in Nepal’s United Nations House, and through that, I made contact with Ajay Acharya, a program analyst at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The UNFPA is a branch of the UN that fights for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights across the world. My conversation with Ajay and his colleague Dr. Yilma Alazar offered fascinating context into the relationship between intimate partner violence and sterilization as a means of contraception, as well as considering Mother’s Health Groups and Father’s Health Groups as a way of encouraging discussion on taboo topics related to reproductive and sexual health, specifically in Muslim and rural communities.


A series of invaluable perspectives on the reproductive health question in Nepal came unexpectedly one day as we were riding in a taxi back from an interview with UN Women Nepal and noticed a group of students outside of Patan Durbar Square holding signs related to menstrual health. I immediately asked the taxi driver to stop and went outside to ask the students dispersed across the square why they were there and what they were advocating for. Here, I spoke to Shrijana Gautam, president of an NGO called We for Change, who organized this major event in collaboration with AFH Nepal for Menstrual Health Day. The number of men in attendance was refreshing, and hearing their reasoning for attendance- specifically, their desire to fight for a more just future for their mothers and sisters, was impactful.


My last in-person interview was with Anand Tamang, founder and president of CREPHA, a nonprofit consultancy and research organization with expertise in reproductive health, abortion, gender, and development research. Anand highlighted the interconnectedness of research and policy impact. Interestingly, the effort CREPHA made in surveying and collecting quantitative data on abortion led to the legalization of abortion in Nepal in 2002.
One of my favorite non-academic highlights of this trip was getting our own personal tour guide of Kathmandu in Hanshika, a Tufts student who was an invaluable part of our research trip and is originally from Kathmandu. She kept us from getting scammed by taxi drivers, confidently negotiated down prices with shop vendors in Thamel and Bhaktapur, and brought us to her home, where her parents welcomed us with delicious food and complete warmth. I had a blast exploring Kathmandu with Ishika, Jewel, Priyanka, and Hanshika, and I’m so grateful to every person who made me feel welcome in Nepal, from the front desk workers at the NGOs I visited to the staff at the Boutique Heritage Home. Kathmandu, cheers to you until we meet again!!

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Researching Sino-Latin American Relations in Mexico

By Yilan Batista

My research subject focuses on Sino-Mexican relations and how Chinese economic engagement with Mexico has shaped the everyday lives of Mexican citizens, and how diplomatic relations between the two nations have impacted Mexican society’s attitude toward China and the United States. The topic of Sino-Latin American relations has always held both significant academic and personal meaning to me, as a student of International Relations with Chinese and Cuban heritage.  

Before traveling to Mexico City, I was already engaged in self-study on Sino-Latin American relations. I am fascinated by the divergent narratives across the world on the nature of Chinese engagement with the Global South. On one hand, there is the official political narrative within China and many Latin American governments about mutually beneficial, non-exploitative engagement; there is also a more practical side of non-ideological economic engagement between Chinese and Latin American businesses; and finally, there is the political belief in the United States that China is seeking to expand its harmonic dominance across the Global South. I wanted to study this topic in Latin America itself to understand better how Mexican society actually perceives Sino-Mexican relations.  

Before embarking on the trip, I was already aware of how Mexico would be a special case study in Sino-Latin American relations. Chinese engagement with Latin America has long been impacted by great power competition between China and the United States. Mexico would then present a special case because of its unique interconnectedness with American politics and economics. My assumption was corroborated by the various professors that I interviewed. I learned that Mexico is unable to establish a free trade agreement with China due to a clause within NAFTA that prohibits members from engaging in free trade with non-market economies. I also learned that a lot of negative sentiment in Mexico toward Chinese investment and Sino-Mexican trade is influenced by pressure coming from Washington.  

 I also learned that there is not one single attitude in Mexico toward the idea of China as either a non-exploitative partner preferable to the US, or as an imperialist partner operating upon unequal power dynamics. Rather, Mexican sentiments toward China are constantly in flux and dependent on changing economic and cultural conditions. For example, in the early 21st century when China still exported largely low-technology products, Mexican society and workers felt much more negatively toward China due to greater competition between the two nations within the global economy. Now, this antagonism is not a major concern anymore. And while Mexican society held a deep racism against Chinese people in the 20th century, recent attempts at cultural diplomacy has lessened these prejudices. Nevertheless, tensions still persist, especially in relation to how Chinese imports destabilize local Mexican industries and how this impacts the livelihoods of ordinary Mexican citizens.  

 Perhaps one of the most interesting realizations that I gained from the professors that I interviewed is that Sino-Mexican relations is not heavily influenced by ideology. One would assume that the current Mexican administration under the leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) would present a political rationale for collaborating with China; but my interviewers shared that AMLO is simply seeking to diversify Mexico’s economic relations as a whole.  

Overall, I came away from this trip with the knowledge that Sino-Mexican relations is defined by many different currents of thought. I hope to continue communication with Mexico’s cultural and professional experts on China, and to expand my study on Sino-Latin American nations to other countries in the region as well.  

  

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Handicrafts in Nepal

By Jewel Kyaw

Our first few days in Nepal were filled with sightseeing temples and trying delicious local dishes. I was charmed by the monkeys that watched us from the trees, some of them showing off the food they took from unsuspecting tourists. After our weekend full of mountains, we were ready for the interviews we had scheduled for the upcoming days.


On Monday, we got ready to head to the office of the Association for Craft Producers. ACP is a not-for-profit Fair Trade organization dedicated to the social and economic empowerment of low-income artisans, primarily women from underprivileged backgrounds. The mission of ACP is to provide comprehensive support through design, market, management, and technical services to artisans, which not only supplements their family income but also gives them the skills to start their own enterprises.


When we arrived, we were greeted by Soni, whom I had emailed leading up to the trip. She informed us that we would get a tour of the facilities before the interview. We explored the vast 43,000 sq. ft. building that housed 80 staff and in-house producers. Besides the offices, there are different units for specific crafts like felting, weaving, pottery, glass, and more. Neya was able to make a bowl on the pottery wheel with the help of the technical skills expert. The glass unit was the newest addition; the artisan we met inside explained to us that she started as a general unit producer but attended a glass sculpting workshop ACP held with a visiting glass expert. She was able to continue learning more about glass and now leads and manages the glass unit at ACP. She proudly showed us the beautiful glass turtle she finished before we came in.


As we walked around the buildings, we saw how they posted their fair trade principles on every wall, from the cafeteria to the stairwells. Our tour guide even showed us their strategies to be more environmentally friendly. All of the building have gutters connecting them that carry rainwater into a giant underground water tank below their courtyard. They use the water for dying raw materials and have special tanks that process the dyed water to be properly disposed.


After the tour, I was able to interview Revita Shrestha, the chief executive. She explained to us one o the biggest challenges at the start of ACP, was convincing women to leave the home. Many of them carried generational knowledge of handicrafts, but faced barriers from being able to start their own businesses and sell their crafts. They could not get loans from bank due to not owning enough property for collateral and face social stigma if they did not dedicate all their time to their domestic responsibilities. Shrestha continued by bringing up that one of the biggest barriers was internal, the lack of selfconfidence.
By being able to learn technical skills at ACP, the women artisans were able to start generating income along with balancing a family and farm. As a result they gained more confidence but also respect from their families. Shrestha told us stories of women that created their own businesses started to employ their husbands and family members. They stepped out of the traditional structure where the men are the primary income earner.


Outside of technical skills training and distributing raw material, ACP is able to support their artisans through social wellness programs. There is an education allowance that encourages artisans to send their daughters to school and a higher education scholarship that pays for the tuition of the top scoring girls. ACP is able to economically empower the artisans and uplift their role in the community.


I learned so much about ACP, but also the gender dynamics within communities in Nepal from Shrestha. I felt incredibly grateful to see their expanded facilities and greet the artisans. After the interview, we were treated to an amazing lunch in their cafeteria where we met some new artisans that traveled into the city to learn.


We were excited to hear that the ACP’s store, Dhukuti, was not too far from where we were staying. Hopefully sometime this week we will be able to visit the massive store filled with crafts.

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Nepal: A homecoming journey of Research and Discovery

By Hanshika Neupane

As an international student, embarking on a research trip to Nepal, which is also home to me is truly an experience to write about. As I write this blog post from the heart of Nepal, with the hustle and bustle of the city, the ringing of bells from nearby Temples, the chitter and chatter of neighbors greeting each other loudly, and fruits and vegetables vendors out in the street selling the freshest produce right outside of our homes, I am filled with a sense of both familiarity and strangeness. After spending a year studying in the United States, coming back to my homeland has been an extraordinary experience. When I first landed, this place felt equally foreign. I had almost forgotten the smell of the air, the chaos in the streets, the noise, and familiarity in people’s faces. I had missed being able to talk in my mother tongue. As a FGLI student, having spent all my life in Nepal, I waited all my life to escape from this chaos. But almost a year later, when I was presented with the opportunity to return to Nepal for research, I couldn’t have been more excited.

Along with four of other SARC members traveling to Nepal, we embarked on this academic as well as cultural experience. The first two days after our arrival in Kathmandu was full of showing my friends around the city. As a local person to Kathmandu, I knew I had to take them to my favorite spots around to give them the most authentic experience. Be it taking them to Swayambhunath also known as monkey temple to witness monkeys eating ice cream and sipping on boba tea, or leading them through the bustling streets of Thamel to experience the lively nightlife, or altering the menu for “life-changing momos”, I was committed to giving them a genuine taste of Kathmandu.

Our research trip was an intense and enlightening experience, deeply rooted in the exploration of women’s issues in Nepal. As five women researching various aspects of women’s lives, we found ourselves frequently bonding over our shared experiences of growing up in South and Southeast Asian households. These conversations added a personal dimension to our work, enriching our understanding of the cultural nuances that shape women’s experiences in the region. These conversations only further enhanced my passion for the research topic I am looking at. Despite being born in Nepal and having an intrinsic understanding of the caste system and its pervasive hierarchy, talking to experts on history and sociology has been profoundly eye-opening. The caste system in Nepal is deeply ingrained, with the term “Dalit” referring to the lowest social group in this hierarchy, historically known as Shudra and often labeled as untouchable. I am passionate to explore the Dalit movement post-1990, following the restoration of democracy, focusing specifically on Dalit women who constitute 15% of the population. This demographic has often been excluded from historical narratives, particularly in the context of political upheavals.

Throughout our trip, we had the privilege of meeting with a diverse array of experts, professors, and officers from various UN departments, including UN Women and UNICEF. These interactions provided us with valuable insights into the systemic issues affecting women in Nepal, particularly those from marginalized communities. I had the opportunity to visit organizations and speak with anthropologists and authors who work heavily with digital archives and repositories. One of the most impactful experiences was coming across a photobook that collates photographs of Dalit lives and resistance spanning the last six decades across Nepal. This powerful volume, enriched with essays exploring the economic, social and political dimensions of Dalit struggles, highlights the historical presence and contributions of Dalits in Nepali public life. The conversations I had with the authors and translators of this book has further increased my interest in the role of visual media in advocating for social justice and definitely enriched my research on the lived experiences and resilience of Dalit women in Nepal.

This research trip has just not been about academic inquiry, it has also been about the commitment in whatever tiniest ways of rectifying historical imbalances and contributing to ongoing efforts towards justice and equity in Nepal.

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Journalism and Freedom of the Press in Mexico

By Ariadna Condezo Trinidad

The group representing the Latin American Committee (LAC) arrived in Mexico City on Monday May 20th. We have diverse research projects topics ranging from the revitalization of the Chinampas in Xochimilco to labor migration. My topic is about the role of civil society organizations in protecting and promoting freedom of the press in Mexico. According to Reporters Without Borders, Mexico is the most dangerous country without a declared war to be a journalist. In 2012, the government launched the Federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists —as a reaction to the demands by the civil society—; nevertheless, the mechanism has fallen short in ensuring their protection due to funding, staff shortage, and delays in processes. In order to collect information for my research project, I have been interviewing staff members of civil society organizations, such as Propuesta Cívica, a United Nations office in Mexico, Amnesty International, Article 19, and Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos. In my interviews with members from civil society organizations, I got to understand deeper the problem of freedom of expression of journalists, potential solutions, and the vital role that journalists play in the country.


Most of the violations of journalists’ human rights happen outside the capital. They take place in other states due to reports of journalists about corruption from government officials and organized crime. Without journalists reporting these cases, these situations would remain in the dark and the population would be unaware of the sociopolitical dynamics taking place in other parts of the country. Thus, journalist work is essential in Mexico. However, it comes with a lot of risks and challenges. Some of the challenges include that the job is not well remunerated and it is time consuming. The risks come when journalists are being threatened due to their work, disappearances, physical attacks, murder attempts, and ultimately homicides. Among the civil society organizations it is clear that the Federal Mechanism needs to be strengthened. Currently, the Federal Mechanism receives more cases than it can handle. It takes a lot of time to process cases and some organizations question the risk analysis the mechanism does in order to decide whether to provide protection to a journalist. The most extreme measure of the mechanism is the extraction of the journalist and sometimes the family from their place of residence to relocate them in another part of the country. Usually the chosen place for relocation is Mexico City as it is believed that there is less violence against journalists there than in other states. One thing the mechanism can improve is the monitoring of the families, especially in the psychological aspect. Relocating from your home comes with an emotional toll that is ignored by the mechanism. Families leave behind the future plans they had, their workplaces, the comfort of their house to seek safety. Some civil society organizations are committed to closing the gap in psychological attention by providing free resources and free therapy sessions with the families affected.


Another item that the mechanism does not address is the prevention of attacks on journalists. In the sphere, the civil society agrees that the government needs to create other organisms that are in charge of preventing the attacks. Adding a prevention measure to the current Federal Mechanism can play against journalists since it will require the mechanism to expand the resources they have in tackling more problems. This will lead to more problems and it will cause the mechanism to fail to tackle both the prevention and reaction measures. One interesting thing I learn from my conversations with leaders of civil society organizations is that there are some states that would like to create laws for the protection of journalists. However, there is a mistrust between local leaders and journalists since a lot of the attacks against journalists are originated by government officials. Thus, journalists do not trust any policy that local governments propose. Another point that is worth mentioning is how Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s administration has dealt with freedom of the press. AMLO’s administration has harshly criticized journalists that do not align with its policies labeling them as enemies. Furthermore, the administration targeted Article 19, an international organization with a presence in Mexico that defends freedom of expression, and accused them of wanting to impose the ideology in the country. After the accusation, the organization started receiving threats. A general concern among the civil society is that the civic spaces in the country have been closing down, not only in terms of press freedom but also in the matter of other human rights. They are unsure how this will develop in the following months as Mexico is currently undergoing presidential elections, but they hope the situation will get better.

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The Study of Migration in Mexico City: A Journey of Inspiration

by Dzheveira Karimova

The research trip to Mexico City was an immense success, both for my academic goals and personal growth. Throughout my stay, I was captivated by the city’s vibrant culture and the warmth of its people. The continuous friendliness, hospitality, and kindness we experienced—from the locals at the markets to the individuals I interviewed—were truly heartwarming.

My research centers on migration trends to Mexico City, examining its role as a crucial hub for refugees and migrants en route to the United States. Additionally, I investigate the resources available to these individuals and the contributions of the government, NGOs, and civil society in supporting them.

During my trip to Mexico City, I had the honor of interviewing esteemed professors, researchers, and activists at local universities. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Tigau, Professor Diaz, and Dr. Zavala de Cosío for meeting with me at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and El Colegio de México. Our conversations were incredibly informative, shedding light on current migration trends, the growing impact of the city’s water crisis on migration attitudes, the effects of the CBP One application, and the influence of both Mexican presidential debates and the upcoming US elections on migration policies and trends.

Mexico City afforded me incredible opportunities to connect with esteemed professionals and inspiring individuals in the field of migration. After taking a chance and emailing the general address of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Mexico, I was thrilled to receive a reply from Emilio Gonzalez, Senior Protection Assistant, and Alejandra Carillo, Head of the Mexico City Field Unit, regarding an interview. It was an honor to speak with such experts at the forefront of addressing migration issues in the city. Through our discussion, I gained valuable insights into recent migration from Venezuela, Central America, Haiti, and Afghanistan. Learning about UNHCR’s efforts in Mexico City, including their support for local organizations and advocacy within the government to increase awareness and support for migration challenges, was an extraordinary opportunity and is extremely valuable for my research.

The highlight of my research trip was visiting La Casa Tochan, the first migrant shelter in Mexico City. During my visit to this remarkable shelter, I had the privilege of interviewing Gabriela Hernández, the director and coordinator. Founded in 2011 due to the city’s lack of support for migrants, the shelter emerged from a collective effort by various organizations to provide accommodation and assistance when the government failed to do so. Gabriela shared insights into the growing migrant crisis in the city and the government’s inadequate response in opening new shelters to accommodate the increasing migrant and refugee population. We also discussed the shelter’s dynamics, with refugees arriving from Central America, Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, and China, and how the dedicated staff, including nurses, psychologists, and lawyers, manage to assist them despite language barriers. The visit to the shelter was truly inspiring. Conversations with Gabriela, the shelter staff, and volunteers were not only touching but also highly informative. Their dedication and perseverance in helping refugees in the city, despite the lack of funding and resources, is truly remarkable.

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to conduct such vital research in Mexico City, and I am deeply thankful for this life-changing experience.