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The word, ‘feminism’, has its origins in the Latin word ‘femina’ meaning ‘woman’. It emerged in the 19th century, as a belief and movement that supports empowering women to ensure gender equality in an androcentric society. However, even with its widespread belief, its attempt to dismantle the entrenchment of patriarchal systems remains slow and scarce in Nepal and South Asian countries in general.

With the rise of social media, feminism is slowly becoming an infamous topic. It is now frequently associated with misandry. However, in simple words, it has always stood for gender equality and giving women the chance to be treated as equally and unquestionably as men are, in whichever path they choose in their lives.

The growing openness to women engaging in paid employment, entrepreneurial ventures, and generally any pursuits once dominated by men, reflects the growing independence of women. However, persistent disparities in society continue to keep the need for feminism alive. Rekha Pande’s research reveals that workplace inequality remains deeply rooted. Women often earn less than men for the same work, about 82 cents for every dollar, despite having equal education, experience, and family situations. 

Even women in leadership face bias; when Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer announced her pregnancy, many questioned her ability to lead. Society still idealizes the “good” mother as one who prioritizes home and children, while fathers face no such scrutiny. This double standard hinders women’s career growth.

The most significant indicator of the need for feminism in South Asian countries is the alarming prevalence of gender-based violence and crimes against women. Nepal reports 23 percent of women reporting physical violence and eight percent reporting sexual violence since age 15, and higher rates in Madhes Province. 

Systematic reviews identify ecological risk factors: husband’s alcohol use, low education, early marriage, controlling behavior, caste/region marginalisation, and entrenched patriarchal norms. Furthermore, cultural practices such as chhaupadi, child marriage, deuki and kamlari legitimize women’s subordination and amplify vulnerability in our country. 

A counterargument that attributes such violence solely to Nepal’s underdevelopment is weak, as gender-based violence is pervasive across South‑Asia, manifesting as intimate‑partner abuse, dowry‑related killings, street harassment, and technology‑facilitated abuse. In Bangladesh, two‑thirds of women experience some form of violence, with patriarchal customs driving dowry deaths, rape, acid attacks and trafficking. Pakistan’s surveys show roughly one‑third of women suffer domestic violence, especially in rural areas where education and economic dependence are low. 

South Asia has long tied their familial and societal honour to women, which obstructs their independence to make their own choices about their sexuality and reproductive decisions. Alongside this, the core construction of families assigns the senior-most authority of decision-making to the male member, instead of working together towards a happy life. This authority gives the males a perceived right to control the women and the younger ones of the family. This is a practice of gender inequality disguised under the impression of ‘traditions’, simultaneously undermining years of oppression. This pattern also results in violent crimes such as marital rape, wife-beating and denying women access to money, education, or employment. 

Feminist scholars specifically argue that ‘violent patriarchal constructions’ are what legitimize both honor crimes and domestic control. Furthermore, feminist economics highlights a complex relationship where economic empowerment, by unsettling established gender norms, can unfortunately lead to a heightened risk of intimate partner violence. 

It is common to raise women to adjust and ‘keep the peace’ through silence, mediation or clothing that covers the body completely. Even though people of urban areas are practicing the opposite, rural areas still find veiled women caged in their homes, fiercely dominated by their husbands to resort to only housework with no say in household decisions of any kind whatsoever. It is evident that these actions stem from fundamentalist beliefs in countries like ours, with strong orthodox backgrounds and diverse bases for establishment of thought patterns. 

Marriage, a mythologically and culturally respected union for centuries has also functioned as an anti‑feminist agenda. When marriage institutionalises and reproduces gendered hierarchies that limit women’s autonomy and reinforce patriarchal power, it acts as a catalyst of gender inequality and thus births a number of social disorders. By framing the union as a “natural” pairing of a male breadwinner and a female caretaker, marriage normalises a binary division of labour that privileges men’s public roles and confines unwilling women to private, domestic spheres, even through use of force. 

Social identity theory, which refers to one having a strong sense of belonging to one’s own gender group, makes individuals more inclined to uphold that group’s norms. Therefore, in cultures where a woman’s settlement in life is tied to being married, women who do not wish for marriage are judged severely and socially excluded. 

However, it is necessary to understand that feminism is not inherently against marriage. At its core, it’s an idea that no person, regardless of their gender, should be judged or pressured for choosing to marry, or not to marry, at the age or life stage they deem appropriate, entirely out of their own free will and personal choice. It is a movement and revolution for choice and equality. Feminism challenges the expectation that a woman’s value or identity is defined by her marital status which is the principle most South Asian societies run by. It is also a doctrine that advocates for the equal rights of individuals of every gender to define their relationships, identity and structure without facing social penalty. 

In South Asia, feminism remains an essential movement, not as a threat to tradition, but as a call for gender equality, personal choice, and the dismantling of patriarchal structures that limit women’s autonomy and opportunities.

Meghana Saud

BA IIIrd Year

St Xavier’s College, Maitighar

A 22-year-old man has been arrested with an automatic weapon in Rautahat on Saturday.

DSP Rajendra Bahadur Basnet, Chief of the Armed Police Force Base Santapur, said that a team of the Armed Police Force apprehended Suman Acharya, son of Ganesh Bahadur Acharya, of Padampokhari, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-13, with the weapon last night.

Police recovered a CF-98-9 pistol and its magazine, an Italian pistol and its magazine, 13 rounds of bullets, and a khukuri from his possession.

He has been handed over to the Area Police Office, Chandranigahapur for investigation, DSP Basnet said.

A person died in a jeep accident at Siddhi Kalyanchaur in Chitwan on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as jeep driver Rampani Neupane.

Information Officer Rabindra Khanal of the District Police Office said that the four-wheeler (Ba 18 Cha 8973) was heading towards Kalyanchaur from Siddhi when the incident took place at Kalika Municipality-11 last night.

Seriously injured in the accident, Neupane died during the course of treatment at the Bharatpur Hospital.

The tragedy occurred when the jeep fell some 150 meters down the road at around 10: 30 pm.  

Neupane was the only person on board the vehicle, police said.

A new study has revealed significant inconsistencies in pay, benefits and service conditions across public enterprises, exposing a system marked by discretion, weak oversight and opaque financial practices.

A task force formed by the Ministry of Finance said in its report that there is no uniform standard for salaries or facilities for staff. In most institutions, boards of directors decide benefits at their own discretion. The absence of a unified legal framework, limited monitoring, and pressure from employee unions have contributed to the uneven system, according to the report.

Among 48 institutions surveyed by the task force, only eight were found to have followed the pay scale set by the government on allowance distribution. Eleven were found to have relied on decisions of their general assemblies, while nine were found to have left the matter entirely to board discretion. Similarly, six have determined allowances according to their internal rules, while five have been following predetermined rates. 

Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) are providing the highest allowance of Rs 9,000 per meeting. Two institutions provide Rs 8,000, one pays Rs 7,500, and four offer Rs 7,000 per meeting, according to the report.

The task force also highlighted sharp variations in monthly compensation for chief executives of the institutions it surveyed. Rastriya Banijya Bank tops the list with a monthly package of Rs 450,000, followed by Agriculture Development Bank and Nepal Bank both of which pay Rs 400,000, while the Nepal Tourism Board pays Rs 391,000.

There are also significant variations in the pay of officer-level employees in the surveyed institutions. Out of 60 institutions studied by the task force, 17 pay less than Rs 50,000 a month, 25 fall in the Rs 50,000–75,000 range, and seven pay above Rs 75,000.

The study documents a long list of non-transparent allowances given under headings such as risk, housing, telephone, station, regulation and incentive. Many institutions distribute these benefits without informing the Ministry of Finance. Provident fund arrangements of these institutions also differ, with only 21 institutions using a contribution-based system.

Some of these institutions offer one month’s salary or a 15–35 percent bonus during anniversaries. Similarly, 28 of the studied institutions have welfare and protection, with annual deposits of two to five months’ salary. Staff in some institutions can access loans for houses, land or vehicles at interest rates as low as 1–5 percent. A few institutions have even distributed company shares, despite lacking legal authority to do so.

The taskforce has recommended sweeping reforms to standardize these facilities. It has proposed making the Ministry of Finance approval mandatory for all financial obligations, including salaries, allowances and retirement benefits of these institutions. Similarly, it has recommended introducing a single service-condition regulation for all these institutions, backed by an umbrella law to enforce financial accountability.

The panel has suggested preventing loss-making or grant-dependent institutions from offering benefits higher than those in the civil service. It also suggested introducing performance-based incentives, cabinet-set salaries for chief executives, and minister-level approval for benefits for board members.

Likewise, it has suggested introducing separate, market-aligned structures for special professions such as doctors, nurses, pilots and insurance experts. It has recommended making these institutions adopt fully contribution-based social security, creating a mandatory retirement fund, abolishing opaque funds, removing non-monetary perks and eliminating provisions that allow boards or employees to set their own benefits.

Boundary disputes have resurfaced across five local levels in Banke district, affecting communities, development works, and natural resource extraction in multiple areas. The conflict is most prominent between Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality and Duduwa Rural Municipality, where nearly 100 bighas of riverbed land near the Sidhaniya Ghat area of the Rapti River is being claimed by both sides.

According to Lavaraj Kharel, Ward Chair of Rapti Sonari–6, farmers from Khalla Chapari possess land ownership certificates for the area, yet Duduwa has been staking its own claim. “I myself have 15 kathhas there. Despite our attempts to resolve the dispute, we have not succeeded. We have now written to the municipality administration, requesting a settlement,” Kharel said.

The Rapti River forms the natural boundary between the two municipalities. With the river changing its course over time, Duduwa has claimed that parts of its Gokul Community Forest land have shifted across the river. Duduwa–5 Ward Chair Jhankabahadur Thapa blames excessive extraction of river-based materials for intensifying the dispute. “We claim the land as ours; Rapti Sonari says the same. It is necessary for both municipal leaderships to hold discussions and find a conclusion,” he stated.

The unresolved boundary dispute has disrupted the awarding of contracts for riverbed material extraction. Rapti Sonari has called for bids twice but received no applicants, said Vice-chair Manisha Singh Tharu. Meanwhile, Duduwa has continued extraction using excavators.

Boundary issues are not limited to these two municipalities. A prolonged dispute also exists between Kohalpur Municipality and Baijanath Rural Municipality. In wards bordering both areas—Baijanath-4 and Kohalpur-1 and 2—more than 250 households of Kaushilanagar and Gauri Danda are caught in confusion over jurisdiction. Some residents have even received land certificates through the Land Commission under Kohalpur’s administration.

Baijanath-4 Chair Prem Bahadur Shahi claims Kohalpur is wrongfully asserting ownership over Baijanath’s territory. “These settlements fall under the former Naubasta VDC-8 and 9, which are clearly within our ward boundaries. But Kohalpur has issued land certificates there,” he said. Kohalpur Ward 1 member Bindukumari Shahi acknowledged the dispute, saying it has deprived residents of essential development and construction work.

Baijanath Rural Municipality also faces another dispute with Khajura Rural Municipality. According to Baijanath Vice-chair Nirmala Shahi, 12 bighas of land in Bhandariya village of Ward 7 have been encroached upon by Khajura.

The disputes date back to the administrative restructuring of 2017, when new local-level boundaries were established. Even after eight years of elected representatives assuming office, many of these disputes remain unresolved.

Gyandendra Kumar Chaudhary, Chief of the District Coordination Committee (DCC) Banke, said efforts are ongoing to resolve the issues. “We have tried extensively to settle the Rapti Sonari–Duduwa dispute, even conducting joint surveys, but both sides have refused to agree. For the Kohalpur–Baijanath dispute, we have sought assistance from the Natural Resource Conflict Transformation Center Nepal,” he said.

Rohit Chaudhary, national resource person at the center, said they have been working for a year to mediate the Kohalpur–Baijanath dispute through a multi-stakeholder dialogue process. “We are now at the stage of discussing possible options for agreement. We are hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon,” he added.

Despite ongoing mediation efforts, boundary disputes continue to hinder local governance, service delivery, and development across multiple areas in Banke.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is investing Rs 3 billion for a joint venture to be established for the development of two cross border transmission lines.

The NEA and India's Power Grip Corporation will have their investments in the JV, according to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

The Ministry stated that Rs 1 billion will be invested for the JV to be established in Nepal and Rs 2 billion in India as the equity share. The NEA would invest the amount from its own internal resources.

As already agreed by the officials of the two countries, the JV will be set up for the construction of Inaruwa-Purniya and Dodhara-Bareli cross border transmission lines.

The important transmission lines for energy exchanges would be completed by 2030.

It is said that the JV to be established in Nepal will have 51 percent in shares from the NEA and 49 percent from the Indian Power Grid Corporation.

A total of 35,952 foreigners visited different tourist destinations in the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) in the month of Kartik (from mid-October to mid-November) this year.

The number of total visitors is eight percent more compared to the figure of the same month last year in ACAP, one of the best trekking routes in the world.

The ACAP officials shared that 33,310 trekkers had visited the area in the month of Kartik last year. The autumn season, especially the months of Ashoj and Kartik, is considered the right time for trekking along the ACAP.

Chief of ACAP Dr Rabin Kadariya shared that the number of Indian tourists is the highest among the visitors here.

Besides the foreigners, the number of domestic tourists has also significantly increased year on year.

Dr Kadariya stated that domestic tourists throng the ACAP for trekking by utilizing the vacation of the major festivals.

The key touristic destinations in the ACAP are Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Peak, Ghandruk, Tilicho Lake, Thorang-la Pass, Upper Mustang, Ghorepani, Punhil and several others.

The ACAP covers some 15 local levels in Kaski, Lamjung, Manang, Myagdi and Mustang districts.

The weather today will remain partly cloudy in the hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces and mainly fair in the remaining areas of the country this afternoon.

Light rain and snowfall are likely at one or two places of the mountainous regions of Koshi Province, according to the Weather Forecasting Division.

The meteorological analysis by the Division states that there is no significant effect of the weather system across the country at present.

Likewise, the weather is likely to remain partly cloudy in the hilly area of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces and generally fair in rest of the parts of the country tonight.