Chapter – I Introduction

CHAPTER – I INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background of the study: Women play an important role in the formation of the civilized society and is considered one of the two wheels of the same cart. The other is the man and just like a cart cannot move without either of the wheel, the cart like society also cann’t formulate without either of man or woman. They both are equally needed in the society. But women who represent more than half of the total population have been largely ignored. In every types of society males have more power, prestige, rights and privileges than females in Nepal. Our Nepalese society is a male dominated society, where females are always given a second performance. She is exploited by the society in various ways in the form of social, physical, sexual and economic aspects. More than 80% of the total population depends upon agriculture and women comprise 48% of the population and their contribution of an agriculture amount to almost 70% (Shrestha, 1991). Among hundred percent people female contribution on agriculture production is 60.5% and male contribution on agriculture production is 39.5% (CBS, 2001). 80% of Nepalese women are involved in the firewood collection, drinking water, use of natural resources and in household activities. Women spend 9 to 11 hours each day in these activities (Shrestha, 1991). As Helen Hunt Jackson says, "A woman, who creates and sustains a home and through whose hands children grow up to be strong and pure men and women is a creator second only to God" (Singh, 1996). When in the above statement women come at second place in creation after God. She has very low status in Nepal as well as many developing countries of the world. Everybody agrees that women play the most important role in setting up a good family. A woman can spoil a house as well as make it heaven. In fact women have very character in every household. But it is bitter truth that women in Nepal lag behind men in many aspects of life (Thapa, 2002). 1 When we look at the history of world civilization we find that with the development of the human society, males have progressively attained dominance and the females have been pushed down to a secondary position. In Nepalese context too, due to conservative tradition, illiteracy, ignorance, poverty and superstitions female dominance exist till today. Women constitute more than half of the population (50.04%) although the status of female is subordinate to male (CBS, 2001). We find a large gap between the status of men and the status of women. It is widely recognized that women’s status in society is a marker of the ability of a nation to participate in the increasingly complex global economy. It is also known that women are the main part to the country’s economic change. They are also the key to the balance between economic development and the sustainment of the country. This continuing discrepancy between the roles and opportunities of men and women is not only unfair to women, it also poses a national danger. Nepal is near the bottom of the table in most charts of living standard among developing counties and badly needs the contributions of the female half of the population in its struggle for survival (Shtri Shakti, 1995). Women have not been able to make full contribution to the society, because they have been neglected in every field by men. Nowadays, education is helping to improve their situation and abilities of every individual. Women play significant role in the development of a nation. Though in the past, women were considered as second grade citizens in most fields of the countries and this perception still prevails in many developing countries including Nepal. In recent years people have started realizing the importance of women’s participation in the economic as well as social development. Men and women have started participating on equal footing development activities in many developed countries like USA, UK, and Japan as “Wheel of a cart”. But in Nepal the status of women is gradually improving. A woman, who was daughter yesterday, has become daughter in-law, today. Similarly a woman who was a daughter in-law yesterday, has become mother in-law, today. The status of daughter, daughter in-law and mother in-law has significantly been changed from yesterday to today. Their roles also been changed. The perception of society towards the roles and status has also been consequently changed. One of the problem that predominate in 2 Nepalese society is the failure to recognize women as productive factors. Such factors, if timely taped and carefully channeled, almost all kinds of development efforts will be successful. The condition of rural women in Nepal is even worse than that of their male counterpart. In rural belt particularly, Nepali girls and women work more than boys and men do, spending 25% to 50% more time on house hold task, economic and agricultural activities (Thapa, 2002). Rural women are almost neglected in any of the development activities. If development activities are offered to the rural poor and women, it is the men who receive and participate in them. Needless to say, no development plans and programmes can be successfully implemented unless both males and females agree to participate in it. In order to encourage them to participate in the development programmes, the women need opportunities for their upliftment. By and large, the Nepalese women are involved in agricultural sector. Most of them work in their own land. The landless rural women work as agricultural labours and wage labours. Besides women have to perform all the household duties. Women, it is claimed, hold up half of the sky and indeed, poor in developing societies often bear all workload of agriculture and different household duties. Thus, the Nepalese women, as those elsewhere in the world, have been making great contributions through home, husband and children. Because of the changing situation in recent years Nepalese women’s status is improving. The political change of 2062/2063 B.S. has given more rights to female than further period. Different kinds of feminist movement have also established powerful rights of women. In present constitution (Interim constitution, 2063). There is managed and provided 33% women’s rights in every field of socio-cultural and economic development of the country. But is isn’t satisfactory rights to establish equality and equity between male and female in the nation. Improving main fact is that by consciousness of people there is reducing discrimination between son and daughter in the rural and urban zone of the country by the cause of consciousness & education. Women have very few social options for survival other than marriage. More than 86 percent of women are married by the time they reach the age of 25. In the 3 Indo - Aryan communities, overwhelming cases in marriage is arranged by the parents specially girls have little to say in this arrangement. Once the girls are married, they are committed for life; they have little say in the management of their time or how they want to live their lives (Tamang, 1998). The social status of Nepalese women differs greatly among the various communities in Nepal. So, it is difficult to say of the status of average Nepali women. Although Nepalese women have an equal rights to vote and to participate in the political life of the country. The equality granted of women in theory and law has not been found translated to the same extent into practice. This theoretically practice still remains to be narrowed down in political, socio - cultural, economic and educational fields of present Nepalese society. The social status and position of women are also related with the prevailing religious and culture related beliefs in the community. The difference is very marked from one religious group to another. For example there is no segregation of women in Buddhist community but it is there in the Hindu community as well as perhaps to a greater extent, among the Muslim community also. Most religious activities are performed only in accompaniment of the housewife (Tamang, 1998). Cultural status of women in Nepal is also weak and poor. In the mask of cultural system many Nepalese women are hiding themselves. Most of the cultural practices are based on religion. Women are hiding themselves. Most of the cultural practices are based on religion. Women are discriminated from men even through religion. During Vedic period, Hindu women were free but it was detoriated during 500 - 1800 A.D. with the interaction with Muslims. As in Muslim society Hindu women were kept in ‘Parda’ and yet today not all owed to observe and perform many religions rites. In Buddhist society women are slightly in better positions but not equal to their male counterparts. Buddhist culture is not as rigid as Hinduism on the matter of women’s freedom and sexual morality. Buddhist women participate in their religious & cultural festivals like Losar, Tihar, Maghe sangkranti, Shrawan Sangkranti, Bisakh Purnima etc & so on. Such as Hindu women participate on their cultural festivals and rituals like Dashain, Tihar, Holi, Janai Purnima, Chhath, Ram Nawami, Krishna Astami etc & so on. Such as Muslim women participate their 4 cultural rituals & festivals like Id, Bakar Id, Id-Ul-Zoha etc.& christian women participate on their festivals like Christmas Day and other holy festivals. But such participations and value of women are less than men in every religious cultural field. But in Mangolian ethnic groups and Buddhist women are in better cultural position than other cultural groups. In Nepal economic Status of women is very weak.

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