Essay | Free Writing
The Position of Woman in Nepali Society

The status of women in Nepal cannot be said to be good. More than 60% of women are illiterate. The status of women is different according to regions, castes, economy, religion, and structure of the community. The women of higher castes have been more suppressed though they have got more facilities and opportunities of education and employment. The women of lower castes have got more freedom than the former ones but they have got less chance of education and employment. Most of Nepalese women do not have right to the property. They are not often involved in making policies and decisions of family as well as nation.

Nowadays some reservation and empowerment programmes are being held to encourage the women. Though they have they have equal right in the articles of constitution but in the field it has not been followed. They are however unable to participate into the public affairs due to the dominant ideology of culture being practiced. While the latter women have no autonomy even within the private sphere, but enjoy limited position in the public sphere. Their suppression stems from the concepts of hierarchy the caste system, traditional though about food, and the high value of chastity. Although the women belonging to different caste, religion, and culture have different status, one thing is certain that they are being suppressed with respect to economic, socio-cultural, political and legal status which can’t be analyzed in isolation because each is intrinsically tied to the next. But for the clarity, each category is discussed separately. Economically the status of Nepalese women is also not good. The dominant Hindu religion and culture have popularized a belief that women should be dependent on the males for income from cradle to grave. Men are considered the sole breadwinners of families; and women are viewed only as domestic and maternal. Women’s work is confined to the household. Their responsibilities are thought to include cooking, washing, maternity, collecting fuel and firewood, fetching water, engaging in agriculture, and service to males and other family members. Although their works plays vital role, it is generally left uncounted.

The workload of Nepalese women is immense. They work about 16 hours every day. Nepalese women are mainly engaged in agricultural works, carpet Industries, and wage labour activities. Furthermore, Nepalese women are compelled to resort to prostitution and to be sold as commercial sex-workers. Because of modernization, their work load has certainly increased. Thus they are now forced to perform triple roles; that of mother, of traditional wife and of community participant. Generally, Nepalese women have much less access to institutional credit, both an individual and household enterprise level irrespective of ecological regions, urban of rural increasing feminization of poverty. To remedy this situation, women should need full economic rights.

Dowry system has also decreased the status of women especially in Terai and urban areas. Women have been bargained as fancy good in a shop.