[Adopted by The World Women’s Conference of Grassroots Women (WWC) held from 26-30 November, 2025 in Kathmandu, Nepal.]
The wives of the Gurkha live under conditions defined by strict patriarchal control, deep social isolation, and heavy domestic burdens. This is not the result of “tradition,” but of a colonial legacy that reshaped social relations, entrenched militarized structures, and institutionalized women’s subordination.
Today, this oppression is reinforced by the colonial laws still upheld by the respective states, like the United Kingdom (UK) and Singapore, which deprive these women of basic human rights — including the right to work, the freedom to move independently, access to social protections, and legal recognition as autonomous individuals. Their situation is a direct expression of ongoing colonial domination.
We resolve to:
- Recognizethe situation of the wives of Gurkha as a political consequence of patriarchy, feudal social relations, militarized masculinity, and the continued enforcement of colonial laws that restrict women’s basic rights.
- Support their struggle in our respective countries, raising awareness about their living conditions, challenging the legal frameworks that reinforce their oppression, and integrating their fight into our broader women’s liberation work.
- Demand for the complete abolition of the Gurkha recruitment system.
We commit ourselves to confronting the colonial and patriarchal systems that restrict these women’s lives. Their struggle for dignity, autonomy, and rights is inseparable from our collective struggle for women’s liberation and true social emancipation.
Kathmandu, 29 November 2025.
Signatories:
