Current Status of Women in Nepal

And Personal IntroductionSara R.

Introduction My name is Sara and I am from Rapid City,

SD

I love the outdoors; rock climbing, bouldering,

hiking, camping, going to the lake

I consider myself a feminist, don’t tell me I cannot do something because I am a woman. I will prove you wrong

I have an amazing supportive family

Life is good – no complains from me

Bouldering in the Black Hills of SD

More about me … I am a senior! I am studying psychology and

frankly I’m not sure what I plan on doing next in my life

Right now I should be studying for my GRE since I take it in October

When I’m not doing homework, I am working at one of our local Moorhead coffee shops, and I LOVE my job (probably because I love coffee and people)

The Women of Nepal• I chose Nepal because I

have had a unique interest in it since my friend went there and climbed Mount Everest

• Someday I would love to go on a trek through the mountains and experience the Buddhist traditions and Nepali culture.

What is Happening Now-The Women’s Foundation of Nepal

A group of professional Nepalese women started the group in 1988

Goal: to make social and economic opportunities available to women no matter what

They are working towards changing Nepal’s constitution to support women’s and children’s rights

What is Happening Now Nepal has a caste system with women always

ranking below men (even their sons) In home life women are inferior to their husbands,

there is no equal partner system Education is frowned upon for women; women’s

literacy is 10% lower than the literacy rate in Nepal. Good news: more and more literacy programs have been implemented

If a woman does have a job she earns about 75% of what a male makes

Girls and women are forced into sex trafficking (All information from Status of Women in Nepal by Deep Silwal )

Women and Reproductive Rights I found quite a few articles

on this topic Nepal is the only country in

the world where life expectancy for females is lower than males – this has to do with dangerous childbirth practices

Over 16% of women have become sterile voluntarily vs. only 7% of men

Women are supposed to be sexually naïve and rely on their husbands to be experienced in the “bedroom department”

Women of Nepal

Nepal has a very patriarchal society

Women and girls receive less food than men and boys even though they prepared it

Women are second class citizens

BUT… more and more groups (NGOs and otherwise) are working to change the ways women are treated in Nepal

and it can only go up and get better from here…