Having grown up in a family that valued assisting others, Anuradha Koirala was able to plant the seeds of service early in life. Her grandfather would frequently remind her to “don’t let the needy go hungry, even if you eat one fewer meal.” Due to her work saving and rehabilitating women, Anuradha Koirala is now well-known throughout Nepal. Anuradha Koirala, affectionately known as Dijju, which translates to “elder sister” in Nepali,.
Founder of Maiti Nepal  |
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19 January 2018[1] – 3 November 2019 |
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| President | Bidhya Devi Bhandari |
| Chief Minister | Dormani Poudel |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Bishnu Prasad Prasain |
| Born | 14 April 1949 (age 74) |
| Nationality | Nepali |
| Political Party | Nepali Congress |
| Father | Colonel Pratap Singh Gurung |
| Mother | Laxmi Devi Gurung |
| Husband | Dinesh Prasad Koirala |
| Children | Manish Koirala |
| Occupation | Social activist |
Anuradha Koirala was born on April 14, 1949, to Colonel Pratap Singh Gurung and Laxmi Gurung. She studied at Kalimpong, India’s St. Joseph Convent, a hill station. Her commitment to social work and service was further strengthened by the mothers and sisters of her school. She was profoundly impressed and inspired by watching Mother Teresa’s work while she was a student in Calcutta. Her willingness to serve took precedence over her father’s ambition for her to become a lawyer and her aspirations to become an air hostess.
Ms. Koirala aspired to empower women, having herself endured persecution. Instead of begging, take action. She used to tell the women who were begging in the Pashupati area, “You have the capabilities.” She started assisting the women in her immediate vicinity while balancing her roles as a single mother and a schoolteacher.
Maiti Nepal was established in 1993 with two rooms in order to shield women from trafficking and violence. Following the founding of Maiti Nepal, Ms. Koirala devoted her life to serving people. Her first job was to build up a house so that girls and women who have nowhere else to go might find a place of their own. Today, some thirty years later, Maiti Nepal operates sixteen transit homes, one prevention home, two women rehabilitation homes, one child protection home, two hospice centres, one information and surveillance centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), and one formal school (Teresa Academy). Every day, Maiti Nepal provides direct services to over a thousand children. Ms. Koirala’s unwavering resolve and extraordinary leadership made all of these possible.
The Government of Nepal now observes September 5 as Anti-Trafficking Day in recognition of her unwavering efforts in the areas of human rights and trafficking prevention. Ms. Koirala was named a former Assistant State Minister of Women, Children, and Social Welfare in recognition of her contributions. Additionally, she rose to the position of Honourable Governor of Nepal’s Province 3.
Worldwide recognition has been accorded to Ms. Anuradha Koirala for her valiant efforts and accomplishments in advancing women’s and children’s rights. 38 national and international honours have been bestowed upon her. Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu Medal (Nepal 1999), Best Social Worker (Nepal 1998), Trishakti Patta Award (Nepal 2002), Peace Abbey, Courage of Conscience (USA 2006), German UNIFEM Prize 2007 (Germany 2007), Queen Sofia Silver Medal Award (Spain 2007), National Ideal Mother Award 2066 (Nepal 2010), Padma Shri (India 2017), and Human Rights Icon (2018) are a few of them.
Among her accomplishments are the release of girls from prostitution and the provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to HIV-affected women and children prior to the Nepali government’s ability to start this procedure.
When Ms. Koirala was named the CNN Hero in 2010, it was a significant year. It represented the pinnacle of her compassion and struggle against the pernicious social issue of human trafficking. Both Maiti Nepal and the country as a whole are proud and honoured by her achievement.
Spending time with youngsters is something Ms. Koirala adores. She is a self-driven individual who enjoys taking on new and exciting tasks in leadership roles, both individually and in teams. She is still the driving force behind awareness-raising and the prevention of human trafficking.
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