Status and Issues of Indigenous Women in Nepal

Presentation by

Dr. Sumitra Manandhar Gurung

November 25, 2008

Ethnographic Map of Nepal

Situation of Indigenous Women Identity of Indigenous Women and their concerns not well recognized

Unreached by Development Processes and denied of basic of Human Rights, i.e. education, health, services,

Data not available to demonstrate how Indigenous Women are affected by conflict or displaced by structure of state, governance

Disparity among different Indigenous women’s groups is also a reality

Democratisation Exclusion from political participation and decision-making Weak access to information and education No recognition of indigenous governance institutions and

decision-making structures. Human rights Severe violations of indigenous peoples´ cultural, economic,

social and political rights. Lack of awareness and attention to human rights abuses against

indigenous peoples. Conflict prevention and resolution

Indigenous peoples disproportionately represented among refugees and internally displaced people.

Denial of indigenous rights among the root causes of conflict and national instability (Guatemala, Nepal, Nicaragua, Bolivia).

Gender equity Indigenous women are marginalised with regard to access to education, health services, political participation etc.

Discriminatory cultural practices in some indigenous societies, e.g. with regard to inheritance rights and participation in governance structures.

Sustainable development

Violation of land and resource rights. Close interconnection between cultural and biological diversity;

special role of indigenous peoples in the conservation and management of biodiversity.

Some Notable Achievements from Women’s Movement in recent years:

33 % in Constituent Assembly Citizenship Legal Rights to Property, wife rape.. Bill tabled Violence Against Women Agreement against alcoholism and related

violence 4 million women in different Groups including

Micro-Finance

•In spite of progress made situation of Indigenous Women remains to be unchanged at large An attempt to give a snap shot of the situation of Indigenous Women through data gathered from 35 groups of Indigenous Women representatives

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Female Litracy

Status of Literacy Among Indigenous women

Size of population and literacy level varies among different groups

Literacy level is 25% in average for Indigenous women, ranging from 0% to 80%

14% on average have high school level education, 4% have bachelors, and 1% have masters level

It shows that 96% Indigenous Women have lower level of education to enter into decision making level positions in the government

Language barrier inhibits them to get education

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10-12 Month Pug 7-9 Month Pug 4-6 Month Pug

0-3 Month Pug Hospital T. Healer

Food Sufficiency Among Indigenous Women and Access to Health services/reliance on Traditional healing

Food Sufficiency: 20% or 6/35 groups have food adequate for 3

months in year 11/35 groups (33%) have food adequate for 6

months 15 groups (40%) have food adequate for 6 to 12

months 3/35 groups (8.5%) have food adequate for 12

monthsAccess to Health Service: 10% women get access to health services 90% rely on traditional medicine due to lack of

service and availability of knowledge to cure in some cases

Agriculture/Labour19%

Agri/livestock13%

Agri/weaving22%

Remittance9%

Agri/Trade13%

Agri/Fishing4%

Medicinal/Horticultural

9%

Agri/Teaching4%

Service/ Restaurant5%

Other thanka Mukundo

2%

Survival Occupations of Indigenous Women

Almost all Indigenous Groups’ occupation were agriculture but due to mobility and displacement from traditional lands, survival require resorting to a combination of 3-5 types of works, i.e.

Agriculture, labor works and livestock; agri and weaving, basket making, knitting; agri and fishing, boating; agri and trade, remittances; horticulture and medicinal herbs trade etc.

Very few cases of service and teaching or other white color jobs as occupations of Indigenous women

Representation of Females in CA

67%

6%

4%

1%

33%

11%

11%

Male Female (Brahmin/Chettri) Female (Janajati)

Female (Madhesi) Female (Dalit) Female (Muslims)

Brahmin / Chettri: 65Janajati: 61Madeshi: 37

Dalit: 23Muslims: 04

96.43 4.08

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Male

Female (Brahmin /Chetri)

Female (Janajati)

Female (Madhesi)

Female (Dalit)

Women representation in political party 2006/7

Caste/Ethnicity WiseBrahmin / Chettri: 19

Janajati: 6Madeshi: 5

Dalit: 2

Female Representation in General Service

79%

7%

1%

1%

22%

12%

Male

Female (Brahmin /Chettri)

Female (Janajati)

Female (Madhesi)

Female (Dalit)

Total: 606Male: 475

Female: 131

Female Caste EthnicityWiseBrahmin / Chettri: 73

Janajati: 45Madeshi: 8

Dalit: 5

Situation of Indigenous Women depicts there is violation of UNDRIP:

Art 10, removed from land and territories, Art 14, education system and in own language Art 18, participation in decision making Art 21, right to improve economy, edu, health

and social security..

Recommendations State to develop the system to disaggregate data by

gender/caste and ethnicity at all levels State to develop systems to access education,

health service and resources to promote economic activities for sustaining livelihood of indigenous peoples

State to abide by the commitment to adopt measures that ensures full and effective participation of Indigenous women in the implementation, follow-up work and monitoring of BPfA and MDG

State to ensure proportional representation of Indigenous women in all constitutional and government bodies.