Kathmandu
(AFP) - About 200 "Kung fu nuns" kicked off a month-long journey from
Nepal through India on Saturday, swapping their flowing maroon robes for lycra
leggings to raise awareness about human trafficking and gender equality.
The
Buddhist nuns are trained in martial arts and frequently organise pilgrimages
and cycling trips to promote gender equality.
"We
are starting our fifth cycle yatra (pilgrimage) today and our main mission is
about increasing awareness about female empowerment, the environment and human
trafficking," nun Yeshe Lhamo told AFP.
Each year
thousands of women and children across South Asia are lured into cities and
across borders with promises of lucrative jobs but are instead sold into
modern-day slavery.
Nepal has
seen an upswing in the number of cases of trafficking since a devastating
earthquake in 2015 left thousands homeless.
The
country's human rights commission estimated that there were about 23,200 cases
of trafficking or attempted trafficking last year.
The nuns
said they came across several cases of trafficking while volunteering in relief
efforts for earthquake victims.
"That's
how we had this idea of going on this cycle yatra to all the remote places and
telling people we are all girls, girls are capable of doing everything. They
are not useless, they are not things to sell," said 23-year-old nun Jigme
Konchok Lhamo.
The nuns
will cover a 3,000-kilometre route from the hills of Nepal's capital Kathmandu,
peddling through south India to Delhi and then to Darjeeling.
"Kung fu nuns" kicked off a month-long journey from Nepal through India, swapping their flowing maroon robes for lycra leggings to raise awareness about human trafficking and gender equality https://t.co/NjMfRWSxkG pic.twitter.com/hAL3pyqAMW— AFP news agency (@AFP) December 23, 2017
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