Boju Bajai in conversation with the fantastically talented writer Kunsang. Her deeply personal essays and stories about her family, community and the way of life in the mountains of Humla are a window to a region of Nepal that doesn't get written about as much in Nepali literature or in our op-ed pages. Kunsang’s op-eds, memoirs and short stories have been published in several national dailies, including Kantipur, Naya Patrika. Listen to Boju Bajai Reads featuring Kunsang’s piece आगो केवल आगो हो...
Jun 02, 2023•53 min
This is the first installment of Boju Bajai Reads where we get our favorite writers to read their writings. And we are thrilled to have writer Kunsang read her piece आगो केवल आगो होइन for this new series. Oh, and mark your calendar cos our episode ‘Guff Gaff with Kunsang’ is releasing on June 2. Read आगो केवल आगो होइन by Kunsang here: https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2023/01/21/167426781073021303.html?author=1 Do you know we also have a weekly newsletter? Subscribe to Cold Takes by Boju Bajai for a ...
May 29, 2023•8 min
Boju Bajai turns SEVEN!! Thank you to everyone, who’s been part of our laugh and guff gaff since we started Boju Bajai in 2016. We are so grateful to have a community of Boju Bajai listeners, readers and supporters, and we hope we will be able to continue our laugh and guff gaff until we actually become boju bajai irl also, re kya ;p And this time our birthday special episode is dedicated to all the wonderful, and sometimes rishuthdo fathers. Thank you for sharing your good and not-so-good dad s...
May 02, 2023•30 min
We hosted a fun live podcast with writers Anbika Giri and Babita Rai talking about mother's day memes, their portrayal in popular media and literature. And now it’s here for you to listen and watch. आमाहरुबारे रचिएका गीत सङ्गीत, हाम्रा प्रिय भावुक kavizz, र साहित्यमा आमाको चित्रण कसरी हुन्छ/ हुँदै आएको छ बारे 'चीरफार' गर्न बोजु बजैलाई साथ दिनु हुँदैछ लेखक द्वय बबिता राई र आन्विका गिरि। Hope you enjoy this episode! You can also watch our conversation here. Boju Bajai Live (Part 1) Boju Bajai Live...
Apr 02, 2023•1 hr 14 min
It’s that time of the year again! What are we marching for this year? Re-releasing this episode from a few years ago because, well… we are so tired of telling people to stop telling us “everyday is women’s day” when clearly it’s not, especially not in Nepal! Just look at how the Nepali state treats women - Nepali women are unequal by law because of the discriminatory citizenship provision in the constitution, the judiciary mostly takes side of male perpetrators in cases of sexual violence agains...
Mar 07, 2023•25 min
Researcher Sangita Thebe Limbu joins Boju Bajai to talk about the importance of creating critical spaces in the public sphere that can challenge the dominant narratives and discourses shaping people’s minds and op-ed pages around issues of inclusion, reservation, and that Nepal is “४ जात ३६ वर्णको साझा happy फूलबारी।” Sangita Thebe Limbu is a PhD candidate at University College London (UCL). She holds an MSc in Social Anthropology from the University of Oxford, and another MSc in Gender, Develop...
Mar 02, 2023•47 min
As news stories of rape-accused Sandeep Lamichhane taking wickets take over our timelines, the erasure of the legal proceedings against him has begun. And, what is clear is that for the Cricket Association of Nepal, wickets come before women. Here is our unplanned and unscheduled cold takes on CAN's continuing attempts to reinstate Lamichhane's place in the national team and his public reputation, while he is charged with the rape of a minor, and while the final verdict on the case is still pend...
Feb 18, 2023•18 min
Boju Bajai in conversation with पूर्व सम्पादक बिनु सुवेदी। Binu is one of the few women in Nepali media, who has led newsrooms and has extensively reported on national politics, as well as social justice. In this episode, we talk to Binu about her journalism career, the role of independent journalism in democracy, सम्पादक ब्रोस and how Nepali newsrooms need to do better when it comes to prioritising stories of women and people from other marginalised communities. Please follow Binu Subedi on Twi...
Feb 02, 2023•1 hr 29 min
The newest episode of 2023 is here! Kicking off the new year with our conversation with Mahima Vashisht, the very talented and funny womaniya behind ‘Womaning in India’ newsletter. We talk about everything from subtle sexism, gender blindspots, raja betas, and everything in between. Mahima’s weekly newsletter weaves in deeply personal and shockingly candid stories from Indian households and is equal parts hilarious and insightful. She shares real stories of real women of India to highlight gende...
Jan 08, 2023•1 hr 7 min
This time we talk about bros, who run everything from influential social media platforms to newsrooms and spiritual empires and their highly problematic views on gender among many things. We’ve been saying these things for the last SIX (!!!) years, but like always our daaju bhaais refuse to engage with any of the criticism cos that’s how they #thrive. Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you wo...
Dec 02, 2022•36 min
Abortion is legal in Nepal, but it is still criminalised. What does this mean for reproductive justice and what impact does it have on the reproductive health of women? Why are women still being driven to seek unsafe abortions? Why does our society still view abortion as something shameful and how does that affect the health and mental wellbeing of women? Reporter Srijana Khadka speaks to healthcare workers from Ramechhap and Syangja about the degree of safety and level of access of abortion ser...
Nov 02, 2022•56 min
It's been exactly twenty years since Nepal legalized abortion. There's been a lot of talk about abortion and women’s rights over their bodies since Roe v. Wade was overturned in the US. But have we ever had similar discussions over abortion rights in Nepal, accessibility to such services, and the cultural attitudes towards abortion in Nepali society, where abortion was legalized twenty years ago? In the first of two parts, we discuss the cultural attitudes surrounding abortion in our homes, fami...
Oct 02, 2022•31 min
लप पर्नै मात्र लागेको थियो, साला IELTS बीचमा आइदियो !!! This episode is all about online dating in the times of the rapidly increasing number of bideshiney mayalu haru. So how have dating apps made it easy or difficult to look for companionship for young Nepalis, and shifted attitudes towards dating? And how often does bidesh ko visa and bidesh ko degree come in the way of budding romance? Last year, over 1 lakh individuals received NOC (No Objection Certificate) to study abroad. त्यसले गर्दा यह...
Sep 01, 2022•32 min
Poets Yukta Bajracharya and Ujjwala Maharjan join Boju Bajai to talk about their friendship, their collaborative partnership, and why we need to learn to communicate better with our friends. Ujjwala Maharjan is a poet and educator from Kathmandu, Nepal. She is one of the co-founders of Word Warriors, a poetry group leading the spoken word movement in Nepal since its inception in 2010. She believes in arts in education as a pathway to build a more empathetic and inclusive society. Working towards...
Aug 01, 2022•1 hr 2 min
It’s all about Nepali uncle हरुको कान्ड this month, from बजेट चलखेल behind चुकुल लाको doors to सुनको लौरो “flying” to Jhapa bypassing the customs office at TIA. Buddha was born in Nepal wala पावन भूमीमा यति धेरैं चलखेल, जालझेल? Boju Bajai thinks Nepal Tourism Board should rethink their promos and maybe add “All बिचौलियाहरु and also Buddha was born in Nepal.” Link to The Nepali Man - https://soundcloud.com/bojubajai/the-nepali-man If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting...
Jul 01, 2022•37 min
कोरोना भाइरसको घातक पहिलो र दोस्रो लहरमा अग्रपङ्क्तिमा काम गर्ने महिला स्वास्थ्यकर्मीको भोगाइबारे हाम्रो नयाँ एपिसोड सुन्नुहोला। आफ्नो पेशाले गर्दा अरुहरुबाट विभेदकारी व्यवहार खेपे, बिरामीहरुले दिनहु ज्यान गुमाएको देखे, अझ त्यसमाथि कामसँगै घरव्यवहार सम्हाल्नु पर्ने दोहोरो बोझ - यी सब कुराहरुले उनीहरुको मानसिक स्वास्थ्यमा कस्तो असर पर्यो ? यहि सेरोफेरोमा पत्रकार मन्जु टेलरले तयार पार्नु भएको यो एपिसोड सुन्नु होला। Our new episode is out! In this collaboration with The Record, we explore the lasti...
Jun 05, 2022•31 min
Boju Bajai को बासी बासी takes on everything from देशको खस्कदो अर्थतन्त्र to upcoming local elections, and all the bro candidates, including Keshav Sthapit and his थुतुनो when it comes to addressing the MeToo allegations against him. And जाँदा जाँदै we also talk about the most bro-ey bro, Elon bhai saab, who just bought Twitter! Bro harukai chhha moj! Please subscribe to Boju Bajai podcast and leave us daami review hai. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. And if you reall...
May 01, 2022•26 min
Boju Bajai is hosting All Ears, Nepal’s first podcast festival on April 9 & 10 (Saturday - Sunday). AllEars is the first podcast festival of its kind in Nepal, curated to celebrate all things audio. And this episode is all about All Ears, the amazing sessions we have planned, and why you should be part of it. All sessions take place online (on Zoom). Please register for the sessions here https://bojubajai.org/allears/ The festival brings together a host of international and Nepali podcasters...
Apr 03, 2022•22 min
In this episode, we hear from our listeners. And a note from Boju Bajai on male entitlement and consent. Readings: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/08/male-entitlement-hurts-women-manne-writes-new-book https://ekantipur.com/news/2022/02/21/16454456041257987.html
Mar 01, 2022•22 min
हरेक वर्ष, without fail, male editors’ gaze will always find 'परम्परागत पोसाकमा XYZ जनजाति समुदायकी युवती' when it comes to festivals like उँधेौली, योमरी पुन्ही, ल्होसर and so on. However, issues and voices of the same indigenous community find little space in the Nepali newsroom and media at large, which are often led by Khas Arya men. जनजाति महिला र पुरूषहरूलाई नेपाली मिडिया, फिल्म र गीतहरूमा कसरी चित्रण गरिन्छ? उनीहरूको शरीर माथि किन यति सजिलै stereotypical टिकाटिप्पणीहरू हुन्छ? अनि यो ‘मङ्गो...
Feb 01, 2022•41 min
TW// This episode contains strong language. What a f**kall year 2021 has been! As this f$%kall year comes to an end, here’s Boju Bajai’s Cold Takes on Nepali politics, economy and our encounters with the numerous humanist bros of ‘Budhhako janmabhumi’. We wish you a very happy new year! Thank you ALL for your love and support for Boju Bajai, whether you've been listening to us since our first episode Bears & Whores or just started following us. As we look towards getting bigger and better in...
Dec 28, 2021•30 min
Trigger warning: This episode contains mentions of rape, murder and suicide. This episode was produced by Boju Bajai in collaboration with Samata Foundation. नेपालमा महिला तथा बालिकाहरु माथि हुने हिंसा, विशेष गरी यौन हिंसाका घटनाबारे दिनानुदिन समाचार आइनै रहन्छ। सडक र सामाजिक सन्जालमा यौन हिंसाबारे निकै बहस हुन्छ र पत्रिकाका पानाहरुमा आक्रोश पोखिन्छ। देशैभरि बलात्कारका घटनाहरु बढीरहँदा पत्रपत्रिकामा यस्ता समाचारले स्थान पाउनु स्वभाविकै हो । तर संचार माध्यमहरुले यस्ता घटनाहरुलाई कसरी cover गर्छन ...
Nov 25, 2021•35 min
*This is a re-release of a 2016 episode, which we seem to have deleted inadvertently. यसपाली गफगाफ आमाहरु,अरुका भान्टाङ् भुन्टुङ्हरु र मातृत्वबारे हो । We talk about our mothers, other people's kids, and our own thoughts on motherhood. If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai Subscribe to Boju Bajai podcast: SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/bojubajai Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast… Google Podcas...
Nov 12, 2021•26 min
How do you talk about gender equality, when there is such a limited vocabulary to turn to in the Nepali language? How do people working at the community level communicate and disseminate ideas of gender equality and social justice from the jargon heavy handbooks and policy papers formulated by experts, and often in English? For #UnitedNationsDay, we explore the challenges of creating meaningful dialogue centering around the issue of gender equality in Nepal’s public sphere which have historicall...
Oct 24, 2021•26 min
Cuffing season is here and so is the new Boju Bajai episode. In this episode, we talk about dating apps or as we like to call them over at Boju Bajai- 'sutne' apps. The heydays of love letters are long gone and it's the time of swiping and matching, of 'hey you up's and 'wyd?'s. But what hasn't changed is our desire to connect and find companionship. This episode explores how these desires were expressed before the internet and how it is done today. And there might or might not be dramatic readi...
Oct 04, 2021•49 min
We talk to journalist Abha Lal about the citizenship debate in Nepal and how the recurring amendments disproportionately discriminate against women from the Madhes. This conversation was recorded for Guff Gaff with Boju Bajai, a web-series presented by Book Bus Nepal. The series was produced by Satori Center for the Arts, Quixote’s Cove, and Boju Bajai. Abha Lal is a journalist and researcher. Follow Abha on Twitter @AbhaLal2: https://twitter.com/AbhaLal2 Watch ‘अनि पहाड चाहिँ ?’ the second epis...
Sep 16, 2021•39 min
Hello September, hello world! In this episode, Bhrikuti Rai and Itisha Giri go on their random ramblings and not-so-random rants. They talk about Nepali living, Nepali internet, and our very own Nepali politicians. This episode is an unbeeped/ uncensored version so it might not be suitable for some listeners. Featured music and audio: "Wake me up" by Green Day 'Rahul is f%uck boi' clip coutesy Dharma Productions' Youtube channel "Rahul montage" from multiple SRK/Rahul films Subscribe to Boju Baj...
Sep 02, 2021•30 min
Trigger warning: This episode includes mentions of mental health disorders, anxiety, and suicide. This episode is dedicated to mental health — about learning to take care of our mental well-being, initiating difficult conversations with our families about our struggles, and seeking help when we need it. For this episode, reporter Nikita Tripathi spoke to Kripa Sigdel, a psychologist and a faculty member at the Department of Psychology at Padma Kanya Campus; psychologist Renasha Ghimire, and Pras...
Jul 31, 2021•37 min
हामीले गतवर्ष बबिता राईसँग 'भाले राष्ट्रवाद' र सामाजिक सञ्जाल आफ्ना विचारहरू राख्दा महिलाहरू सामना गर्नुपर्ने tone policing, moral policing र trolling र नेपाली सामाजिक सञ्जालमा उनीहरूको आवाज र self-expression लाई दबाउन हुने silencing का अनेक गतिविधिबारे गफगाफ गरेका थियौँ। महिलाहरूको राष्ट्रप्रेमको परीक्षा लिइरहने विषाक्त ‘भाले राष्ट्रवाद’, अनलाइनमा महिलाहरूले भोग्ने हिंसा र सामाजिक सञ्जालमा हुने बहसहरूलाई अझै सहज र समावेशी बनाउनेबारे उहाँको विचार सुनौँ है । Disclaimer: The episode contains unbe...
Jul 16, 2021•26 min
For Pride month, journalist Ankit Khadgi takes over Boju Bajai to bring you two tales, from the same city - tales of liberation and oppression; of love and longing; of personal freedom and collective demands. In the first segment, Ankit talks to Roselyn Thapa Magar, also known as Maya Indrani, about the drag scene in Nepal. In the second segment of the episode, we hear from two transgender sex workers sharing their life experiences. Trigger warning: The episode includes mention of self harm and ...
Jun 30, 2021•39 min
