Barun Khadka
32 years
Union: Financial Institutes Employees Union of Nepal (FIEUN), Nepal
UNI Finance
Barun’s passion for fighting for people’s rights began in his childhood and runs through his veins “My father, uncles and other relatives fought for democracy in the country. So I was unknowingly attracted towards things like democracy, human rights and so on. When I reached university, I joined the student union and was a very active member. After I was recruited in the bank, I joined a few trade union related programs which enhanced my knowledge on workers rights”. Since joining the union he has worked as Unit President, Regional Secretary for province 3 (Bagmati Pradesh) and now he is in the the national executive committee of his union where he acts as treasurer and also holds the position of President of Youth at UNI Nepal.
But there is much more to Barun. Not only does he fight for workers rights and youth rights, but he is also breaking down stereotypes. South Asian society, as with many other Asian countries, is highly patriarchal. The burden of house responsibilities as well as that of caring for family members and children generally falls on women. But Barun is the exception. “Me and my wife, are both workers. She is also a banker but her posting is in another district which is quite far and it is too difficult for her to go back and forth so I take care of my family -my father and my four-year old daughter-, our household, the house chores and so on, and at the same time I have to handle my own work commitments and responsibilities. Although it is quite exhausting, this has taught me about time management and I have a great respect towards women and their contribution to society as a whole. I am happy that I got this opportunity to give a jolt on the stereotypes of the society!.”
Barun is a great example of what youth can achieve. They can adapt, change, transform and break down barriers and stereotypes to help create more inclusive and equal societies for all #UNIYeah