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Gender: A challenging issue in Nepal - I By
Dr.Niranjan Prasad Upadhyay What
is Gender? : Gender refers to the social categorization of men and women into
“masculine and “feminine”. Chiefly, it is man-made. In Nepalese context,
men are considered to be the heads of households, bread-winners, owners and managers of
property, and active in external activities. Women, on the other hand, are expected and
trained to bear and look after children, to nurture the sick and old, do all household
work, and so on. Women work hard in the home and fields from early morning to late at
night. In contrast, men have less work. When women are pregnant they have to do the same
amount of work. In all societies, to a greater or lesser degree, women and girls are
subjected to physical, sexual and psychological abuse that cuts across lines of income,
class and culture. Violence against women both violates and impairs the enjoyment by women
of their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Like
an individual's concept of his or her sex role, gender identity is developed by means of
parental example, social reinforcement, and language. Parents teach sex-appropriate
behavior to their children from an early age, and this behavior is reinforced as the child
grows older and enters a wider social world. As the child acquires language, he or she
also learns very early the distinction between “he” and “she” and
understands which pertains to him- or herself. The
issue of gender is very outstanding subject to every developing country like Nepal. To
keep half the population in isolation and seek national growth and success is next to
impossible. Usually, there is a common tendency to give extra attention to sons rather
than daughters. Such types of behavior creates psychological problems in females. International
Center for Integrated Mountain Development( ICIMOD) claims that gender relations
are constructed and maintained through a complex array of factors
that are framed according to social, cultural and historical
circumstances . Gender systems are linked to larger social formations, such as religion,
ethnic identity, etc, and so are reflected in social traditions, but they are also dynamic
in nature, influenced by forces of social and economic changes. Gender
refers to the relationships between men and women, their roles and responsibilities. Men
and women have diverse knowledge, perceptions, skills and practices that are valuable for
the management of natural resources. Gender analysis helps to recognize the vital role
that women play in the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and to
affirm the need for the full participation of women at all levels of policy-making and
implementation for biological diversity conservation. There is an increasing body of
knowledge on the gender dynamics of natural resource management, which enhances
understanding among rural people, development practitioners, researchers and
decision-makers especially in the context of gender-sensitive and participatory
approaches. Gender-based violence and women’s life Violence
against women has been called "the most pervasive yet least recognized human rights
abuse in the world. Accordingly, the Vienna Human Rights Conference and the Fourth World
Conference on Women gave priority to this issue, which jeopardizes women’s lives,
bodies, psychological integrity and freedom. Violence may have profound effects--direct
and indirect -- on a woman’s reproductive health. Gender-based violence also serves
-- by intention or effect -- to perpetuate male power and control. Women may face
different forms of violence at different stages of their lives (see chart 1). Gender Violence throughout a Woman's Life
Chart-1: Source: Heise, L. 1994. Violence Against
Women: The Hidden Health Burden. World Bank Discussion Paper. Washington. D.C. The World
Bank Government’s
Road Map Gender
is a lens through which thought and behavior are framed. Gender as a social category is
closely associated with other forms of social distinctions. In particular, gender is
closely tied to conceptions of power and status. Government of Nepal stresses that women
are still found suppressed, exploited, neglected and forced to live insecure life because
of illiteracy, ill health, poverty, orthodox tradition and discriminatory legal system.
Psychologists argue that in both modern and traditional societies around the world, from
Asia to Europe, people expect men to be, and perceive them as, more dominant and driven
than women. Usually,
the government is hearing the voices from the various communities in the context of gender
discrimination and violence. Also gender experts highlight on the discrimination against
minorities like women, Dalit and Janjatis. Accumulating the voices from the common people,
government of Nepal has formulated a 73 –point road map to bring about progress
through good governance. In the Government’s Road map reservation quota to the women
is also included. .In this context, The Ministry of General Administration has
drafted the phase-wise policies for the next five years aimed at bringing about
significant changes in administration. Ministry of General Administration states that the
road map will be implemented from mid-April over the next five years. In the course of
imparting good governance to the general people, the government has plans to provide
service in the urban areas from a single unit and maintain transparency in the political
sphere and enhance the responsibility and accountability of civil servants. (The first part of the article by Dr. Upadhyay who is a joint secretary at the Public Service Commission) |
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editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
