Gender Issues

After a break over Christmas I have been on a 4 day course on Gender and development.The sign of a good course is when you discuss the issues after the days work is over and we have all been doing that. I learnt that 2/3 of  illiterate people globally are women.In Nepal the average literacy rate has  now increased to 64% accross the country. However, the average male literacy rate is 70% while only 58% of women have a basic level of literacy. This of course includes the more prosperous urban areas such as the valleys of Kathmandu and Pokhara. In Mugu, up in the inaccessable North, for example, the female literacy rate is only 28% and therefore many of our trainings are conducted using pictures and verbally rather than with written materials.
The traditional movement of girls after marriage to live at their parents-in-law's house means that many families still do not see value in educating their daughters to the same standard as their sons. Perceptions are changing however, particularly in the cities and I had interesting conversations at lunch today with my female colleagues, some of whom are living independently with their husbands, rather than in the traditional extended families. We were discussing the advantages and stresses of such families in  a country where there is very little pension provision and no National Health Service. When parents get old they traditionally rely on their sons and their wives to take care of them.Grandparents usually take an active role in caring for their grandchildren, so the traditional family has some very practical advantages even if many independent young professional married Nepali women are no longer content to live with , and be subservient to their mother -in -law.

These gender issues effect men too. Traditionally women do all the childcare, cooking, housework, labour in the fields and carry water. Men's workload is generally less and boys are encouraged to play outside while their sisters are helping with household chores. Women are also target groups for development projects since they are seen to be more careful with money and resources and are more likely to repay microcredit loans. However, attendance at community meetings, although empowering, can also further add to their workload.


Traditional entrenched gender roles can affect men also. One of my male colleagues told me that after the birth of his baby,when he was staying with his wifes family, both his wife and her  mother were ill and the pile of dirty nappies was getting larger and larger. he therefore washed them and hung them out ot dry. Afterwards he was scolded by his wife and her family for doing demeaning work whihc ould bring the family into disrespect in the community! So it will take time to change perceptions and make the workload and status of men and women more equal. I was so impressed by the attitude of the Nepali men on the course as they shared their stories and showed their commitment to gender equity, with equal opportunities for men and women her in Nepal.