Manokranti
Women In Nepal
The law in Nepal does provide some protections for women, including equal pay for equal work; however, the government has not taken significant action to implement these provisions. Women face systemic discrimination, particularly in rural areas, where religious, and cultural traditions, lack of education and ignorance of the law remain severe impediments to the exercise of basic rights, such as the right to vote or hold property. Unmarried, widowed and divorced women are able to inherit parental property.
In recent years, some laws have been passed to protect the rights of women in the areas of citizenship and property rights. A 2004 Supreme Court ruling allowed all children whose father was unknown to have citizenship "until the father of the child is traced." However, the law still denies citizenship to the children of female citizens married to foreign spouses, even if those children were born in Nepal. Also in 2004, the Supreme Court ruled as unconsitutional a clause that permitted only a male to record birth and death information in government offices. The Court ruled that women no longer needed permission from their husband or parents to obtain a passport, or to obtain the permission of their husband, son or parents if they wished to sell or hand over ownership of property.
In 2004, the court also ordered the government to enact a law abolishing the practice of chhaupadi, which required a woman to stay in a cow-shed for four days during her menstrual period.
Laws against rape provide for prison sentences of up to 10 to 15 years for the rape of a child under the age of 10, 7 to 10 years for the rape of a child between 10 and 16 years old, and 5 to 7 years for the rape of a woman 16 or older. If the victim is handicapped, pregnant or mentally retarded, an additional five years is added to the standard sentence. Spousal rape has been prohibited since 2003.
Domestic violence is a serious problem in Nepal. In the past few years, public awareness about domestic violence has grown due to sensitizing campaigns for police, politicians and the general public, but in the absence of a domestic violence law, police are unable to file cases against the accused.
Traditional beliefs about witchcraft remain prevalent, and generally involve elderly rural women and widows. Shamans or other local authority figures sometimes beat and physically abuse suspected witches publicly as part of exorcism ceremonies.
Trafficking in women remains a serious problem in Nepal, and large numbers of women are forced to work against their will as prostitutes, domestic servants, bonded laborers, or circus workers, in other countries. Young girls, sometimes as young as nine, are the most common targets. Local NGOs have estimated that 25,000 to 200,000 women and girls are lured or abducted into India annually, but these numbers can not be verified. Women are also trafficked to Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates. The law prohibits the trafficking of persons and prescribes imprisonment of up to 20 years, but the government lacks botht he resources and the institutional capacity to effectively address its trafficking problem.
Female life expectancy at birth: 59.91 years
Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born/woman
Infant mortality rate: 65.32 deaths/1,000 live births
HIV/AIDS adult prevalence: .5% (2003 estimate)
Literacy: Male 62.7%; Female 34.9%
Per capita income: $1,500, 31% below poverty line
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ABOUT THE ARTISANS
Global Sistergoods' partner in Nepal works with over one thousand individual producers, many of whom are from remote, mountainous areas. Women producers affiliated with this large organization are able to work from their home to provide additional income for their families.
Our partner organization also reinvests 40% of its income in the women and children of the Tulsi Mehar Mahila Ashram but providing food, shelter, clothing, health care and education. The Ashram, founded by Tulsi Mehar, Shrestha in 1979, is a women's empowerment center that provides training for women's self-reliance.
