Issues and voices for gender equality

 

Gender equality has become a challenge in Nepal due to several sociocultural factors. Adhikari R and Sharma J (2022) write in European Bulletin of Himalayan Resource that (in Nepal), women are stereotypically represented as vulnerable, uneducated, or less educated Third World women. The social and political system of Nepal dominated by a patriarchal structure and rooted caste-based hierarchy system has a crucial role in this. Harmful traditional practices (HTPs) such as Chhaupadi, caste-based discrimination, witchcraft accusations, child marriage, dowry and persecution are root causes behind domestic violence and gender inequality.

The United Nations (UN) and the Nepal Administrative Staff College (NASC) define gender as the set of characteristics, social roles, responsibilities, power relations, identities and behavior patterns that distinguish women from men, which are constructed socially and culturally. Sex refers to the biological and physiological differences between males, females and intersex (reproductive differences based on genitalia, chromosomes and hormones) as determined by nature. It is universal and unchangeable. In short, sex refers to biological, born with, not changeable, and gender refers to socially constructed, not born with, changeable.

The International Organization for Migration states that, in Nepal only 22.9 percent of working-age women are in some form of employment compared to 48 percent of men. A UN Women report states that in 2021, only 13 percent of women were in managerial positions in Nepal whereas 22.9 percent of working-age women were engaged in minimum level of employment in comparison with men (employed at 48 percent). It states further that one-third of girls are still married before 18, and the highest rate of polygynous marriage is found in Bagmati Province (at 3.7 percent). 

Nepal Police records for the year 2020-21 show that 4222 men committed suicide compared to 2919 women, probably pointing toward the effect of toxic masculinity and social pressure.

It’s been 23 years since Nepal signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (UN CEDAW), but gender equality is still a far cry in the country, notwithstanding some improvements at the institutional level. For example, the Constitution of Nepal 2015 has inclusion as a key feature. Formulation and implementation of other relevant acts and policies has increased women’s representation in the parliament to nearly 40 percent. 

There are two primary aspects to gender equality: a) human right or institutional perspective b) social or religious perspective. 

The social-religious perspective is more relative and contextual as it influences the entire society and institutions to build a system to be continued for development as a process. 

The Global Gender Gap Report 2024 from the World Economic Forum reveals that Iceland, Finland and Norway are the top three countries in terms of gender equality, each achieving a score exceeding 87 percent. This improvement is primarily attributed to a positive shift in the personal attitudes and behaviours of individuals, particularly among men toward women; however, the percentage of women in political representation remains around 44-46 percent. According to this report, Rwanda is in the 39th position with women making up 63.8 percent of parliamentary representatives (55 percent of cabinet members are women) and four out of seven judges in the Supreme Court are women. Nepal ranks 117th out of 146 countries in gender equality with a gender inequality index score of 0.661.

This shows that measures like formulation of policies and inclusion of women in top leadership positions roles may not be enough to ensure meaningful inclusion and equality in society. In the pursuit of inclusion, many countries exhibit tokenism driven by superficial advocacy and promotional efforts. In reality, true inclusion and equality stem from recognizing the inherent worth and resilience of every individual while embracing diversity with an open mind and a genuine commitment to education that translates knowledge into meaningful action.
In order to transform a patriarchal society into a gender-equal society, we must begin by giving boys and girls equal rights in ancestral property apart from empowering women with targeted programs and ensuring balance in power dynamics through affirmative actions for proportionate inclusion and meaningful participation of every woman in the system and structures.

The author is a Disability Inclusion Advisor at the United Mission to Nepal