Why do schoolgirls wear braids and bows? “It’s the uniform.”
“It gives a conservative feeling to a girl. They look so nice and mannered.”
“It’s just tradition.”
Of the roughly 33,000 schools in Nepal, 6000 of them are private. 1500 of these are in Kathmandu Valley. Almost 30 million people inhabit Nepal, with women making up half the population. 30% of these women are under the age of 14.
A handful dozens of these girls show up six days a week, at 9:30 AM, at their schools’ football-field.
Line up. Feet together, Arms along the body.
A few students are asked to speak in front of the group to train their confidence in front of a crowd. The day before International Women’s Day, Riyana (7th grade) makes a speech. Then, all the students sing the national anthem.
Arms up. Arms down. Feel apart. Feet together.
When they are done, they may leave in a line. Head after head, they disappear from the football field and into their classrooms.
Braid after braid, bow after bow.
Braid after braid, bow after bow.
All images are taken at Nirvana Secondary School in Kathmandu.
