Tribhuvan University

Reading Feminism in the Present Scenario of Nepal

A Research Paper Submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,

Brilliant Multiple Campus in Partial Fulfillments of the Requirements for the Degree of

Bachelor of Arts in English

By

Sabitri Gharti Magar

T.U Registration No.6-2-478-051-2019

April 2024
 Declaration

I hereby declare that this research paper entitled “Reading Feminism in the Present

Scenario of Nepal" is my original work carried out by me under the supervision of

Mr. Ganesh Onem, lecturer at Brilliant Multiple Campus except to the extent that

assistant from others in this research paper’s design and conception or presentation

style, and linguistic expressions are duly acknowledged.

All sources used for this research paper have been fully and properly cited. It contains

no materials previously published by another person, nor materials which to a

substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree of the diploma or

university, associate ship, fellowship, or other similar titles of recognition by another

institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the

text.

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 Tribhuvan University

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Brilliant Multiple Campus

Letter of Approval

This research paper “Reading Feminism in the Present Scenario of Nepal”

submitted to the Department of English, at Brilliant Multiple Campus by Sabitri Gharti

Magar has been approved by the undersigned members of the research committee:

………………

Ganesh Onem

Supervisor

………………...

External Examiner

Dib Magar

Head of Department of English

Date ……………….

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 Acknowledgments

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to my research paper supervisor Mr.

Ganesh Onem, lecturer, at Brilliant Multiple Campus. His patience, enthusiasm, co-

operation, and suggestions made me present this research work to produce in the

present form. His brilliant, skillful supervision enriched this study higher than I

expected. I couldn’t remain any more without giving heartfelt thanks to Mr. Onem for

his painstaking supervision throughout the study period. This research work would not

be possible without his inspiration, and cooperation.

My gratitude goes to Mr. Dib Mager, Head of the Department of English, at

Brilliant Multiple Campus for allowing me to work on this research. I am grateful to

my honorable Lecturer, Dib Magar, and other faculties for these precious suggestions

and insights for this research.

I am wordless to express my gratitude to my senior Bishnu Paudel for his great

support and I’m in debt to my family and dearest parents, sister/s and brother/s for their

great help, constant support and warm affection embalmed me to accomplish this effort

directly or indirectly supporting me to collect the materials. At last, I am grateful to all

the theorist and critics from whom I have collected necessary resources/ source

materials for my research paper.

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 Abstract

This research paper aims to explore the importance and significance of Feminism in the

context of Nepal. It also highlights the key things or issues such as gender inequality,

social norms, discrimination found in a society. This research paper tries to present the

situation of Nepali women from historical period to the present scenario of Nepal. It

shows the present condition of women in a Hindu society and the problems faced by

them. Drawing upon feminist theories and frameworks we examine the social- cultural,

political and economic factors that shape women's experiences in society. This research

also provides insights for promoting gender inequality and women's empowerment.

Feminism in Nepal has been a significant topic of discussion and exploration in recent

years. This abstract aims to provide an overview of the feminist history in Nepal

highlighting key issues, challenges and achievements. It examines the portrayal of

women's situation in Nepali society through the lenses of the book "Shirishko Phool"

and "Nathiya" which explores the experiences and struggles faced by women in Nepal.

In overall this research paper reflects the women's condition in patriarchal society who

are victimized, marginalized and oppressed. It also examines the different view point of

the schools on feminism.

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 Table of contents

Declaration ii

Letter of Approval iii

Acknowledgements iv

Abstract v

Table of Contents vi

Introduction 1

Theory Building 4

Review of Literature 6

Arguments about the claim 9

Conclusion 12

References 14

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Introduction: Reading Feminism in the Present Scenario of Nepal

This research analyzes the concept of feminism and its present scenario in the

context of Nepal. The term 'feminism' means the belief that women deserve equal,

economic and political rights and freedoms. It holds the position that societies prioritize

the male point of view and that women are treated unjustly in these societies. So, it

helps fighting against gender stereotypes and improving educational, professional and

inters personal opportunities and outcomes of women. Thus, we can say that feminism

is about all genders having equal rights and opportunities. It's about respecting diverse

women experiences, identities, knowledge and strengths and striving to empower all

women to realize their full rights.

Owen M. Fiss claims that feminism is the set of beliefs and ideas that belongs to

the broad social and political movement to achieve greater equality for women:

Feminism gives shape and direction to the women's movement and of course is

shaped by it. Women seek equality in all spheres of life and use a bored array of

strategies to achieve that goal. Feminism does not belong to the law lone. Still

the law has figured prominently in the fight go women's equality both as a

domain to be reformed and as an instrument of reform, As a result feminism

has become of special concern to the legal community (4s13-428).

In the above quotation, Fiss described feminism as a strong belief which helps women

to stand for their rights. He emphasizes on the equality and political movement which

promotes women's participation and their upliftment in a society. Similarly, he also

explains feminism and law as a supplement of each other because both of them take

stand for women and their rights. As he says legal communities are concerned about

feminism and its rights.

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Faludi States (1991):

Feminism asks the world to reorganize at long that women aren't decorative

ornaments, worthy vessels of a special-interest group. They are half (infect, now

more than half) of the national population and just as deserving of rights and

opportunities just as capable of participating in the world's events as the other

half feminism's agenda is basic. It asks that women not be forced to choose

between public justice and private happiness. It asks that women be free to

define themselves instead of having their identity defined for them time and

again by their culture and their men. (p.163)

From the above mentioned statement of feminism, it is the struggle to fight against

male supremacist ideology which thought and treat women as inferior. It is a struggle to

achieve equality and freedom of choice for women and to control own lives and bodies

within and outside home. Women have a subordinate status in society. He describes

women as an important member of a society who plays important role in building a

nation. This quotation emphasized that women should not be seen as mere decorative

ornaments of objects of special interest. Instead, it recognizes that women make half of

the population and therefore deserve equal rights and opportunities. It highlights the

importance of trading women as individuals with their own aspirations rather than

secondary figures. In this way he explains the needs of gender equality and the

importance of the recognition of women's inherent worth and contributions to society.

Hooks (1984, p.69) defined feminism as "A movement to end sexist oppression,

enables women as men girls and boys to participate equality in revolutionary

struggle." ( p.69).

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This definition shows that women are suppressed, oppressed in the home and society.

They are silent majority. A goal of feminist project is to end the oppression of women

and attain social equity for them. The politics of patriarchy have suppressed women's

voices and dominated social discourse and social action to the benefits of men and

detriment of women. It is crucial for men to be a part of feminism agency. Indeed men

probably bear more of the responsibility for ending oppression of women since

patriarchical men have been the main perpetrators of that very oppression.

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Theory Building

This research is connected with feminist theory. So, the research has done on

the basis of feminist theory and it analyzes feminist theory and views of different

theorists.

Feminist theory: feminist theory is a framework of ideas and analysis that

explores gender dynamics and inequality. It examines the social, political and economic

system that contribute to the oppression of women and seeks to challenge and

transform those systems. It aims to understand and address issues such as gender roles,

patriarchy and the intersections of gender with other forms of oppression.

According to Binda Pandey, She sees feminism as a critical theory which

focuses on the relationship between the production of knowledge and practices of

power. She considers it as a blended form of Marxist feminist, critical theory and a

range of social scientific disciplines.

Feminist standpoint helps to understand and explain the world through

marginalized subordinated and oppressed women's point of view in the society

considering them as knowledge. It is the process of main streaming their

knowledge, skill and experiences. Feminist standpoint focuses on power

relations which is broadly cultivated on cultural values and assigned gender

roles. (p.202)

In this context feminist standpoint could be a theoretical basis to mainstream women's

knowledge skill and experiences instead of conventional ways of thinking and doing

things with taking into account the knowledge and experiences of dominant groups.

This emphasizes the importance of the feminist standpoint in understanding and

explaining rte world. It suggests that by centering the perspectives and experiences of

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marginalized, subordinated and oppressed women, we can gain valuable knowledge

about society. According to her, the feminist standpoint seeks to create more inclusive

and equitable society by valuing and centering the knowledge produced by women.

According to Wikipedia there are several feminist theories, Radical feminism,

Liberal feminism, Black feminism, White feminism etc.

Radical feminism is a perspective which calls for a radical re-ordering of

society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts.

While recognizing that women's experiences are also affected by other social divisions

such as in race, class and sexual orientation. The ideology and movement emerged in

the 1960s. It views society fundamentally as a patriarchy in which men dominate and

oppress women.

Liberal feminism also called mainstream feminism is a branch of feminism

defined by its focus on achieving gender equality through political and legal reform

within the framework of liberal democracy and informed by human rights perspective.

Liberal feminism activity supports men's involvement in feminism and both

women and men have always been active participates in the movement progressive men

had an important role alongside women in the struggle for equal political rights since

the movement was launched in the 19th century.

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Reading feminism in Nepal: A Literature Review

Feminism in Nepal refers to advocacy for gender equality and the

empowerment for gender equality and the empowerment of women in Nepali society. It

encompasses various movements, ideologies and actions aimed at challenging and

dismantling patriarchal norms, promoting women's rights and addressing gender based

discrimination and inequality.

Literature review is an essential task for any researcher to acquire theoretical

knowledge about related topic. This chapter includes of review of related theoretical

literature, review of related empirical literature, implication of the review for the study

and conceptual framework:

In this literature review, I will explain the existing research and literature on

reading feminism in Nepal to explore the representation of feminist ideas, historical

context and the challenges faced in promoting gender equality. So many authors and

feminists have written about feminism and its movement in Nepal. Anmol Mukhiya is

the one of among them, he talks about the historical context of feminism in Nepal in his

Journal " Rise of Feminism in Nepali Politics: An Analysis of Exclusion of Women's

Rights in the constitution." In his journal he indicates that historically the campaign of

'women's education in Nepal was conducted by the 'Women's Committee (Nari Samiti)

against the Rana regime at Sirah in 1971. This was the first attempt for women's

advancement in Nepal.This committee was formed in the initiation of women leaders

such as Yog Maya Devi and Divya Devi Koirala (Majupuria, 2007). This was followed

by the active participation of women's participation during the labour movement in

Biratnager during 1947. The result is that many Nepali women were arrested by the

then Rana Regime at that time. However, the Nepal Women's Association' was formed

in 1947 to work for 'women's fights and freedom by women leaders close to different

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political parties. Afterwards, women leaders started affiliating to various political

parties already formed and conducted their own women's organizations (ibis, 2007).

Some of the active leaders namely Moti Devi Shrestha was one of the five founding

members of the 'Nepal Communist party' established in 1949. Others like Sadhana

Adhikari were elected member of Kathmandu municipality in 1952 representing th

"Nepal women's Association. In the national level election of 1958, Dwarika Devi

Thakurani was elected to the House of Representatives and then Assistant Minister.

During the twelve year period of success of the popular movement of 1990,

advocacy on women's issues continued at the national level. In addition, the voice was

raised for 'gender equality' and public consent was developed in favour of social,

economic and political reformation. The history has shown a significant representation

of women in the street against the king's action of Octobe4, 2002 in Nepal. A a result

the endorsement of inclusive democracy is seen in the comprehensive peace Accord

between Seven Parties Alliance and 'Communist Party of Nepal and the 'Interim

Constitution of Nepl, (2007) This is recognized in Nepal's history of women's

contribution of the democratic movement.

Women leaders collectively addressed the need that all the responsible political

parties should be serious for democratization in political changes. However, in 2015,

Nepal's parliament also elected Bidhya Devi Bhandari as the first female president of

Nepal. Associate press adds "Nepal has been trying to shift from a traditionally male-

dominated society towards objectively, where women are mostly limited to working at

homes or on farms, where women have equal access to opportunities and legal rights"

(Neveda Public Radio 2015). This has also given rise to the view of feminism as

women playing an important role not only in private housing but also in political

decision -making.

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 Nepali society is traditionally patriarchal. In the past, Nepalese women were

treated poorly in every aspect of Nepalese society: social political or economic.

According to date on violence against women in Nepal (2012-13) it is reported

that one- third married women have experiences emotional, physical or sexual violence

from their spouse in their marital relationship. Between April 2012-13, WOREC

recorded 77 percent of the episodes of violence against women are reported from

within the family. 22 percent of women aged 15-49 have experiences physical violence

at least once since the age 15. Similarly, 43 percent of women have experiences sexual

harassment at workplace and between 5,000 and 12,000 girls and women are trafficked

every year. In which, 75percentage of them are below 18 years of age and the majority

are sold into forced prostitution. Above mentioned data clearly shows the poor

condition of women in Nepalese society.

Similarly, Saraswati Partikshya a writer describes about the life of women from

Badi community from (2036 to 2046 B.S.). In her book Nathiya (21018), she talks

about the sufferings of Badi women living in northwestern part of Dang Valley. The

Badi women had to resort to prostitution after the fall of Rana regime in Nepal. This

book also helps to understand and analyze the historical condition of Nepalese women.

Additionally we can also analyze the condition of Nepalese women in the past

through the book 'Shirishko Phool' by Parijat, in her book, she explores the theme of

love, relationship and women's experience in Nepali society. Parijat is also known as a

feminist author in Nepal. She shed light on the challenges, triumphs and complexities

of women's lives.

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Arguments on: Reading Feminism in Nepal

Nepal is a multi -caste, multi -ethnic, multi- lingual multi-religious and multi-

cultural country. Here, women comprise fifty one percent of the total twenty five

million population of Nepal. Even the population of women is high in ratio they are

still marginalized and oppressed by male. Most of the women in Nepal are placed

below to their husbands and fathers in a social hierarchy. Patriarchal society

marginalized women in every aspects of life in the name of culture, religion, ethnicity,

caste and class.

Women all over the world have not only been marginalized but have suffered

torture and repression. Across time and place men and women are placed unequally in

the power, either society or over their own life. They are culturally, religiously,

financially as well as historically behind men. According to Hindu religion, women get

married to serve her husband and his family. But there is no religious provision for

male to serve female. Similarly women are not allowed to read religious text. Even

history is also written from male's perspective. There is not a separate history of

women. In this way we can clearly see that Nepalese women are treated poorly in every

aspect of Nepalese society.

Although women are said to be legally equal, it is an irony that dozens of legal

provisions are still discriminatory against women. In practice, gender discrimination

and violence against women is still uncontrollable in Nepal. Most of the women are

confined to household workers with no access to or control over resources. Their

representation is very low in the public sphere. Similarly, the authority over household

and property management rests normally with male in the family. Women's economic

dependence on men and their lack of educational, political, social opportunities are key

factor in their subordinated position in society.

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 Women's problems, pains, fears, joy, happiness and life experiences are

universal. Nepalese women's experience of life is not as different from those of other

women living in different parts of the world. But as Nepal is a Hindu country, Hindu

matrilineal ideology entails a deep ambivalence towards women. The concept of

feminism and femaleness in Hinduism presents a duality. On the one hand the female is

seen as divine, creative nurturing, supportive and on the other, she is considered to be

dangerous and evil. Basically in our society a girl is under the control of her father

before marriage and after her marriage she is under the control of her husband. She is

never independent throughout her life.

On the other hand, while talking about oppressed and marginalized women,

there are some women and fake feminisms in Nepal who are using their tag of 'Girl' and

'women' in a wrong way. In the present scenario they are mis-using their rights only for

their personal benefits. Somehow they are mis- using the term feminism and their legal

rights. For example, they took feminism as a marketing tool without genuinely

addressing the underlying issues or they promote fake allegation of attempting rape

case or something else.

However, there have been significant advancements in recent years. Nepal has

implemented policies and legal framework to promote gender equality, including the

adoption of new constitution that guarantees equal rights for women. Similarly,

women's organizations and activities are working tirelessly to raise awareness,

challenges social norms, and advocate for women's rights. Feminism in Nepal is a

dynamic and evolving movement, with individuals and groups actively engaging is

discussions and initiative to recognize that feminism intersects with other social justice

movements in Nepal, such as caste, ethnic, and LGBTQT rights. Similarly after the

revolution in feminism we can see various changes like, 30 percent seats are reserved in

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every committees and group starting from the gross roots level up to the legislative of

Nepal for women. Government grants subsidy on tax while registering property in the

name of women to improve the access of women on property etc.

In overall, Feminism in Nepal advocates for equal rights and opportunities for

all genders. It recognizes that gender equality is not just for women's issue, but a

societal issue that benefits everyone. By challenging traditional gender roles and norms,

feminism promotes a more inclusive and fair society. It seeks to empower women and

plays crucial role in addressing gender-based violence, including domestic violence,

sexual harassment, and human trafficking. It raises awareness about these issues, and

advocates for ·legal reforms and provides support to survivors. As well as, feminism in

Nepal challenges the patriarchal structures and norms that make gender inequality. It

questions the unequal distribution of power and resources and seeks to create a more

equitable society where both men and women can thrive.

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Conclusion

Based on my literature review on Reading Feminism in Nepal, the researcher

have come to some key conclusion. One of the main findings is that feminism in Nepal

is a complex and evolving movement, influenced by cultural, social and political

factors unique to the country. It is characterized by ongoing efforts towards gender

equality and women's empowerment.

The researcher found that while progress has been made, challenges still

present, Gender based violence, limited access to education and healthcare and unequal

opportunities in the workplace are some of the issues that women in Nepal continue to

face, however, there have been significant advancements such as the adoption of

policies as legal frameworks to promote gender equality.

Moreover, the researcher discovered that feminism in Nepal intersects with

other social justice' movements, including caste, ethnic and LGBTQT rights.

Recognizing and addressing these inter sections is crucial for a more inclusive and

comprehensive approach to feminism.

Women have been treated differently all over the world. Feminist research

acknowledges that most women face some form of oppression and exploitation etc.

Feminist standpoint theory takes them into account those oppression, exploitation and

differences. Seeing the things with down the negativity feminist standpoint may narrow

and mainstream the knowledge and experiences of women, which has been historically

ignored, oppressed, peripheral and discriminated.

Feminism in Nepal has emerged as a powerful force in challenging gender

inequalities and advocating for women's rights. The feminist movement in Nepal has

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been instrumental in raising awareness about the issues faced by women, promoting

gender equality and empowering women to assert their rights and agency.

While progress has been made, there are still significant challenges to

overcome, including social and cultural norms, gender-based violence and limited

access to education and economic opportunities for women. Continued efforts are

needed to address these issues and ensure that feminism in Nepal continues to make a

positive impact on women's lives. By supporting the voices of women, promoting

gender equality and fostering inclusive policies and practices, Nepal can move close to

achieving a society where women are truly empowered and treated as equals.

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References

Fiss, Owen M. "What is Feminism," Ariz. st. lt. 26 (1994): 413

C.E., Faludi "Literature Criticism (5th ed)" Longman: Pearson Education. (2011)

B. Hooks, "Feminist Theory From Margin to Center". United States (1984)

Pandey, Binda "Feminist Movement in Nepal: Historical Foot-Steps toward Gender

Equality" Minister of Population and Environment (MOPE) Oct25, 2018, P-26.

Mary, Maynard " Beyond the Big Three: The Development of Feminist Theory into the

1990s" (1995)

Mukhiya, Anmol "Rise of Feminism In Nepali Politics: An Analysis of Exclusion of

Women's Rights in the Constitution" G.B. Books, Jan, 2016,pp.146-159.

Pratikshya , Saraswati, "Nathiya" Kathmandu, Book Hill Publication, February 3, 2018.

Parijat, "Shirishko Phool", Nepal, Sajha Prakashan 1964.

"Violence Against Women", 2019-01-28 retrieved 2016-0945

Pokhrel, Mira "Effects of Feminism in Honorificity and Gender Domination in Nepal

Pronouns". Journal-32012-12-15.

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