Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 aims at achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls through effective participation in social, political and economic development. The goal also targets to end gender-based violence and discrimination and ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health. Nepal, committed to the SDGs, has developed several policies supporting gender equality. Through various government efforts and stakeholders' support, Nepal has progressed in narrowing down the gender gap. However, more efforts are needed to achieve the SDG 5.
The patriarchal socio-cultural and educational structures, which maintain male domination, are the spheres of existing inequalities. The old guards often restrict women from social, political and economic opportunities. They are limited within the household responsibilities. In most cases, families have hierarchical structures and power dynamics that limit women's access to social, financial, and educational resources.
Though girls' enrollment in education has increased significantly in the past twenty years, many disparities exist in equal access to technical and higher education in the rural areas. Empowering girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is more important than counting the girls' enrollment rate. University Grants Commission of Nepal (2020) reports that the total number of girls' participation in higher education is about 52 per cent, whereas their involvement in technical and higher education is only 38 per cent. Such disparities in education prevent women from being at the forefront of development.
While some women are into decision-making and entrepreneurship roles, most are involved in informal employment. Generally, there are wage inequalities in informal jobs. Nepal's gender pay gap is remarkably high. Nepal Human Development Report asserts that the mean monthly wage income of female employees was 42.8 per cent lower than that of male employees in 2020. The pay gap between male and female workers shows how society curtails women from economic stability.
Over the years, Nepal has had significant rate of violence against women. Crimes against women, rapes and sexual exploitation are alarmingly on the rise. Such incidents often lead to people coming to the streets to protest. However, only a few major cases get public attention. In the fiscal year 2019/2020, 2,144 rape cases were registered to the Nepal Police, which is almost six times higher than in the fiscal year 2009/2010. The growing gender-based violence cases depict how Nepali women are vulnerable in the society where they live in.
The percentage of women aged 15-19 years who are married or in unions is 19.3%. Though Nepal has set 20 years as the legal minimum age for marriage, child marriage is still common in the rural parts of Nepal. Girls from poorly-educated and low-income families are often married off early. As a result of child marriage and early sexual debut, many girls suffer from reproductive health problems resulting in high rate of maternal mortality. Child marriage and early pregnancy limit women's opportunities for prosperity and good health.
These issues can be appropriately addressed through effective policies and strategies.
Women's economic empowerment drives gender equality. Empowering women economically involves enhancing their competitiveness in the marketplace and removing barriers to financial resources and unfair competition at the individual and policy levels. Specifically, it encompasses women's access to productive resources and decent work in existing markets. Women's economic empowerment should be more focussed on the rural areas. Financial institutions should provide low-interest loans for women to run small and medium-sized enterprises in such areas. Meanwhile, local and provincial governments should ensure a marketplace. Through this, women will participate in economic activities and decision-making process at all levels, from the household to international institutions.
Similarly, policymakers need to develop a robust financial support programme for uplifting girls' education. As many disparities exist in girls' participation in technical and higher education, strong financial aid can bring them into STEM careers. The assistance should be more inclusive, prioritising women from the rural areas and marginalised groups.
With robust aids, the disparities in learning achievements, enrollment, and retention rates in both school and higher education can be narrowed. Bharatpur Metro, for instance, has decided to provide Rs. 1 lakh education insurance to every girl who is born inside the city. They get insurance after 15 years of age, which will be beneficial for pursuing higher education. Though the amount may barely fulfill the requirements, this policy can motivate girls to pursue higher education. This type of education policy will substantially increase women's literacy rate in the years to come. Consequently, such policies can contribute to multiple areas of social development – standards of living, reduction in child marriage, better health care and quality of life.
As wage inequality is notably high in Nepal, addressing the issue can help Nepal accelerate its progress in gender equality. The government should consider a three-pronged approach to promoting equal pay: raising the minimum wage, developing women's skills, and performing a pay equity audit. As women are more susceptible to lower-paying or lower-status occupations, a minimum wage floor might set an acceptable standard for living costs and median incomes. Similarly, developing skills that boost employability and incentivising women in productive employment can reduce the pay gap.
The government should consider a three-pronged approach to promoting equal pay: raising the minimum wage, developing women's skills, and performing a pay equity audit. As women are more susceptible to lower-paying a minimum wage floor might set an acceptable standard
A version of this article appears in the print on September 1, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.