THE STATUS OF WOMEN
 As
in many South Asian countries, Nepal’s entrenched religious and cultural
practices give preference to boys and men. Many Hindu rituals institutionalize
the denigration of women, and systematically undermine their self-worth.
Women are not equal to men under the law, and they are
economically and socially dependent on fathers and husbands. Girls from
all castes are raised with less food, education and health care than their
brothers. They are unwelcome at birth, and destined through marriage to
become the possession of others. Nepal is one of the few countries in
the world where women’s lifespan is shorter than men’s.
Marriages are arranged and happen early for girls—as
young as 12 in isolated communities. 60% of Dalit women are married before
the age of 16. After the wedding, a girl leaves her parents’ house to
move in with the husband’s family. In the hierarchical family structure,
she has the lowest status and is given the hardest chores and the least
amount of food. She may be physically or emotionally abused and may be
denied the right to the smallest personal possessions. These are common
and accepted practices in rural areas. It’s not surprising that the suicide
rate for women is extremely high.
The birth of a son can raise the young wife’s status.
But if no sons are produced, or if she displeases her husband in other
ways, he may choose to take a second wife. Polygamy is a widespread practice.
The first wife’s status sinks to the point where she may starve. If she
is sent away or chooses to leave, she may not be accepted back into her
parents’ home, because she is considered to have disgraced the family.
The pervasive intolerance of inter-caste relationships
and marriage causes much suffering for Dalits. Such unions are forcibly
severed and the couples ostracized by the community. In some instances,
whole families are punished with violence by high-caste people.
If a woman survives her husband, she may be blamed for
his death, cursed by the family and shunned by all for bringing bad luck.
Her bangles are broken and she can no longer wear red, which is reserved
for married women. No widow is allowed to remarry. All women, whether
of high or low caste, suffer from such cultural practices. Without basic
education and social support structure, women without husbands are excluded
from society and have very few options. They are forced to beg, or become
easy prey for sex traders. In rare cases women are demonized and executed
for witchcraft. |
