Women's Development in Nepal: the Myth of Empowerment
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67 Women’s Development in Nepal: The Myth of Empowerment Ishara Mahat The status of Nepalese women—and rural women in and economic and social mobility are still profound. particular—lags far behind that of men. The strong For example, the literacy rate for women is 30 per- bias in favor of sons in the country means that cent, but for men the rate is twice as high at 66 per- daughters are discriminated against from birth and cent.1 Many poor rural families consider education do not have equal opportunities to achieve develop- for girls as a needless burden. In poor households, ment. The situation for women is characterized by parents prefer to pay for their sons’ education and low levels of access to education, healthcare, and eco- keep their daughters at home to help their overbur- nomic, social, and political opportunities. Despite dened mothers.2 Labor and physical exploitation of increasing efforts from the government, non-govern- young girls is widespread. In addition, gender-based mental organizations, and international development violence is often reported in domestic as well as agencies to empower women in Nepal, there has public arenas and is largely attributed to derogatory been little improvement in the socio-economic status attitudes towards women, which is reinforced by low socioeconomic status.3 The maternal mortality rate of Nepalese women, Despite increasing efforts from associated with adolescent pregnancies and poor government, non-governmental health services, is among the highest in the world. Recent studies reveal that one out of every thirty-two organizations, and international pregnant women die due to pregnancy and child- development agencies to empower birth related complications.4 According to the Gender women in Nepal, there has been Development Index (GDI),5 socioeconomic condi- little improvement in the socio- tions for Nepalese women are worse than for other South Asian women.6 Moreover, women remain far economic status of women at the behind men in Nepal according to the Gender grassroots level. Empowerment Measure (GEM).7 Indeed, women’s participation in politics is only one-fifth that of men, and the same pattern prevails in professional occu- of women at the grassroots level. This paper clarifies pations and administrative jobs. Although a substan- the meaning of empowerment and critiques how it is tial proportion of women, around 40 percent, is applied in the context of Nepal. economically active, many are unpaid family workers Development in Nepal remains impossible involved in subsistence agriculture.8 unless women achieve equal footing with men in the To raise the status of women in Nepal and push development process. Gender-based inequalities in forward the country’s economic development, gov- access to healthcare, education, ownership of assets, ernment and development organizations have A PhD student at Massey University, New Zealand, Ishara Mahat is currently researching gender and rural energy technologies in Nepal for her doctoral dissertation. She received an M.Sc in rural and regional development planning from the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok and from the University of Dortmund, Germany. She has worked with the government and various international agencies in Nepal, focusing on women, children, and gender in development issues. VOLUME XVIII – 2003 68 PRAXIS The Fletcher Journal of International Development focused their efforts on empowering women. The women have the independence to make deci- concept of empowerment rests on awareness-raising, sions regarding their bodies, fertility, birth capacity building, and organizing people in order to spacing, and the lives of their children. overcome unequal relationships, in addition to This empowerment framework helps development increasing women’s decision-making power at the practitioners determine the point of intervention so household, community, and national levels. as to achieve higher levels of equality and the The concept of empowerment as used by many empowerment of women. development agencies refers mainly to entrepreneur- The empowerment approach, which is fundamen- ial self-reliance. It places an emphasis on individual- tal to an alternative development philosophy, places an istic values: “people empowering themselves by emphasis on autonomous decision-making for com- 9 pulling themselves up by their bootstraps.” John munities, local self-reliance, direct democracy, and Friedmann, author of Empowerment: The Politics of experiential social learning. The starting point for Alternative Development, promotes a much broader empowerment must be at the grassroots level, because understanding of empowerment than those focusing civil society is most readily mobilized around local 10 on the entrepreneurial self-reliance of individuals. issues. The major goal of empowerment is to achieve His definition of empowerment includes three dif- ferent aspects of power: social, political, and psycho- logical. Social power means having access to The empowerment approach, which resources such as information, knowledge, and skills. is fundamental to an alternative Political power refers to participation in decision- making—in particular, those decisions that affect a development philosophy, places person’s own future. Psychological power is defined an emphasis on autonomous decision- by an individual’s sense of potency and self-esteem, making for communities, local self- which may positively influence his or her access to reliance, direct democracy, and social and political power. To apply theory to practice, the United Nations experiential social learning. International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has developed a broader women’s empowerment equality through transforming the structures, systems, framework focusing on five levels of equality: and institutions that have maintained inequality. 1. Welfare: addressing the basic needs of women In the case of Nepal, the process of women’s without considering the structural causes. At empowerment involves many dimensions, including: this point women are viewed as passive bene- “increasing access to economic opportunities and ficiaries of welfare benefits. This is the first resources; strengthening political power through step toward empowerment. women’s organizations, solidarity, and collective 2. Access: providing women access to resources action; raising consciousness about the symptoms such as schooling and micro-credit. Access and causes of prevalent oppressive religious, eco- helps women to progress in meaningful ways. nomic, cultural, familial, and legal practices; and 3. Conscientization: helping women to recognize strengthening women’s self confidence.”11 the problems caused by existing socio-cultural Economic empowerment involves gaining con- arrangements, and their roles and rights to trol over productive resources and enabling women deal with inequalities. to make independent financial decisions. Women in 4. Participation: encouraging women to take part Nepal have already realized the need to be involved in decision-making and working collectively in the economic sphere as a means to supplement to gain political representation. the household income and gain a certain level of 5. Control: the final stage of empowerment independence. However, these women are mainly where the balance of power between men and relegated to low-skill, repetitive jobs in the industrial women is equal and the contributions of sector. This is because of a lack of education and women are fully recognized. At this stage training opportunities, employer biases, and limited VOLUME XVIII – 2003 Women’s Development in Nepal: The Myth of Empowerment 69 mobility due to family responsibilities.12 According gender, eliminating gender inequality, and empower- to the Nepalese constitution, women should enjoy ing women along the lines proposed by the Beijing equal rights to employment and equal pay for simi- Platform for Action.16 lar jobs, but this is rare in practice. Meanwhile, the activism of non-governmental Political empowerment aims to propel women organizations (NGOs) in Nepal has increased tremen- into offices where they can formulate, execute, and dously and a number of NGO networks have been monitor policies and laws. A critical mass of women, formed. The Woman’s Pressure Group, for example, at least one-third of the total of political representa- is comprised of 84 NGOs of various categories. Other tives, needs to be at every level of decision-making. networks are issue-oriented and focus on advocacy or However, women have extremely limited power at specific agendas such as media, HIV/AIDS, and traf- the decision and policy-making levels of political ficking.17 One typical example of an NGO working for bodies, as well as in government bureaucracy. women’s empowerment is the Women’s Foundation Although almost all political parties have formed of Nepal (WF), which works to amend laws that pro- women’s caucuses, no organizations have been able hibit greater involvement of women in politics. The to put gender issues onto the political agenda in more WF also acts as a networking center and emergency than a rhetorical way. Disappointingly, they have shelter and offers job training, micro-credit loans, been unable to provide moral and financial support and literacy classes.18 To raise awareness of women’s to women who are interested in becoming involved issues, the WF stages seminars, workshops, street in politics. In addition, women rarely get family sup- plays, and rallies. Despite the increasing NGO