Uttam Maharjan

Much water has flowed under the bridge since the restoration of multiparty democracy in Nepal in 1990. During these 32 years, the status of women in the country has changed a lot. At the time, women were considered subordinate to men and men would consider themselves superior to women in virtually every aspect of life, be it social, economic or political. Social norms and values were in favour of men and, what is more, even society was based on a patriarchal system. As a result, women were a vulnerable lot, lacking access to education, healthcare, parental property rights and social recognition. They were not free even to decide on their reproductive rights. Moreover, sons were predominantly preferred to daughters. Women were woefully restricted to household chores.

However, positive developments have since taken place on the front of gender equality. The status and role of women have undergone a sea change. After the success of the people’s movement in the early 1990s, the constitution of Nepal, 1990 was promulgated. The constitution guaranteed, among others, fundamental rights to all citizens without discrimination on the basis of caste, ethnicity, religion or sex.

Leadership role
In the meantime, the level of education and awareness also grew among both men and women. It is a no-brainer that education is one of the strong factors contributing to gender equality in the country. Now, women have reached the top echelons of the governance and administration of the country. Bidya Devi Bhandari is the President of the country now. Women have taken leadership roles and are involved in the decision-making process. Many women leaders are active in various political parties. Outside the political domain, women are also community leaders, entrepreneurs and social and environmental advocates. The participation of women in the labour force is also increasing. Like men, women also go for foreign employment, contributing to the remittance sector.

Although the status of women in urban areas has improved a lot, rural women or women living in remote areas are still facing hassles. Nepali society is based on Hindu values and rituals. Patriarchy is taken as the norm. Superstitions and taboos are rife. Women are considered commodities or liabilities. They are confined to household chores. They are forced to do unpaid work. It is estimated that three quarters of unpaid work is done by women. Although they have to bear the burden of work, they lack access to economic resources such as land, forests, technology and entrepreneurship. In fact, the problems faced by women differ by region, class, religion, ethnicity and geographical location. That is why the status of rural women is far worse than that of urban women.

For national development, the contributions of both men and women are equally important. So the state should formulate appropriate action plans to enlist maximum participation of women in economic activities. Lack of employment opportunities or alternative livelihood opportunities for women has acted a damp squid for women’s participation in economic activities. Restricting women to household chores without recognising their economic value is one of the great disincentives to their involvement in economic activities. Nepal is a federal republic now. There are three tiers of government. There is a legal provision that thirty-three per cent of women should man federal, provincial and local governments. This provision is designed to enhance women’s participation in political activities.

It is obvious that gender inequality is rampant in rural areas. As the rural population preponderates over the urban population, the government should focus on rural development. There is a tendency of rural youths, especially young men, to migrate to urban areas or foreign countries for jobs. This has further pushed rural areas into development backwaters. As such, the government should initiate village-based development projects. The Back to the Village national campaign initiated by the Panchayat rulers did not materialise. Likewise, the CPN-UML’s Build Your Own Village campaign did not succeed, either. However, there is no question of failure if the government is serious about embarking such a campaign.

Rural women are industrious. They can be engaged in economic activities such as agriculture, forest management or business activities to enable them to stand on their feet. Superstitions and taboos are rampant in rural areas. Social malpractices like the chhaupadi system abound in rural areas. To eliminate such practices, a sustained awareness campaign is a must. Moreover, a strong legal punitive system should be in place to discourage such practices. The most important factor is education. Rural women who are illiterate can be made literate through a literacy campaign. There is a network of community learning centres all over the country. The network can be utilised for such a sacrosanct purpose.

Govt’s intervention
It is not desirable for gender inequality to exist in the twenty-first century. National development requires contributions from both men and women. In Nepal, the proportion of women is slightly higher than that of men. So ignoring the female force in development activities is counterproductive. The lot of urban areas has improved much but rural women are still at the receiving end. To improve their lot, government interventions are a sine qua non. When rural women have a chance to actively engage in economic or productive activities, rural development gets a shot in the arm. There is no doubt that rural development greatly contributes to national development. Gender equality should, therefore, be the priority of the government’s development agenda.

(Maharjan has been regularly writing on contemporary issues for this daily since 2000. uttam.maharjan1964@gmail.com)