Dixya Poudel

In Hindu religion, the female deities are given a special place. They are respected as a source of wealth, affluence, education and luck. Hindu religion is thus unique in that Goddesses are worshipped reverentially. However, despite the veneration of female power through religious points of view, female status is quite diminutive in societies such as Nepal.

With unpaid labour, low pay jobs, wage inequality and household chores, girls and women throughout the underdeveloped nations like Nepal face disadvantages over their male counterparts. In contrast, the males receive much respect, privileges and advantages by birth. They often carry on with their lives without having to worry about domestic matters. They might bring income to the table but when it comes to the household works it is women who have to bear the brunt.

There is a deferential sense of obligation that women carry out since their very childhood. It ties them to domestic matters such as the management of the households along with child care. Unsurprisingly, most of the households worldwide are run by girls and women. However, advancement in female empowerment today sees a rise in women representation in fields such as science, technology and humanities. Those fields that used to be predominantly occupied by men are now occupied by women as well.

Now we have women in high flying professions such as politics, law, engineering, medicine, teaching tenures, sports, etc. Yet at the end of the long day at work, most women come home to attend to their family members. While women’s contribution to household chores might have subsided in current age and time, it is still present as a blaring reminder of the deep reaches of patriarchy. And it is from their childhood that girls are taught to adhere by the rules of patriarchy.

Nevertheless, it isn’t all doom and gloom. Women enjoy a certain hierarchical status between themselves within a familial and social circle. Elderly grandmothers, mothers, aunts and sisters exert a certain prestige in a family. They may or may not work outside of home but the management of household is under their domain. Women are also the ones carrying traditional roles in religious, social and cultural festivals. It isn’t thus surprising that majority of people visiting temples and shrines during religious festivals are women. In a way they upheld the long standing traditions of religious worships.

Within a household there are definite demarcations of status, influence and power often in a hierarchy. Men might make the important decisions in a family but these days women’s points of view are taken into account as well. While taking care of the young ones, girls and women participate in the age old traditions in which the females are the symbols of maternity, love and care. However, today men too care for the children while also assisting in the household chores.

What can be done to further elevate and bolster the status of women in contemporary societies? First of all, female literacy is a major step towards an inclusive society that supports the education and career of the females. Most importantly the collective mindset of the societies at large should incline towards empowerment, liberation and support of girls and women throughout the world. It is a better world that sees the females as equal contenders.