Women in Nepal and even those outside of it have rarely made it to the top of food chain. When we look at the spearheads of top organizations or reputable companies, seldom do we find women among the line of CEOs and COOs of those companies. So what has been keeping the talented women to reach the top? A study conducted by KPMG, 30% Club and YSC unveils thoughtful insights.
Nepal, though having most of its population as females, i.e. 51%, is still a male-dominated culture with its accustomed beliefs of men being better than women or boys being better than girls. However, Hinduism being the most followed religion in Nepal, most of the people still swear by beliefs like ‘one baby boy is better than four baby girls’ or ‘a late-born son is better than an early-born daughter’.
Financial affluence is often considered the real factor that empowers women. However, some theorists counter-argue that even privileged women in third-world countries aren’t empowered because they lack the freedom to spend. The point holds truth for women in third world countries like Nepal as even the well off women are yet to benefit from their financial stability.
Womankind is far from breaking the stereotypical shackles but they have surely made them weaker. According to Pramila Rijal – President of SCWEC – and Rajouria Rijal – executive director FWEAN – it is still “a long way to go.” They feel that there are a lot of other barriers that remain to be crossed, gender-equal policies, eradication of dogmatic beliefs regarding women as housewives, and financial access are most notable.
Nepali Women are cornerstone of the economy of their beloved nation. Out of total population which is 27 million, more than 51% are women. But the country’s economy rests over primary produces which means women put more efforts for fewer rewards.
Nepal is a country with tens of thousands of underexplored resources. Among those resources, Nepal has a talented and a reliable workforce. Despite the skills however, the nation still has a mountainous 47% unemployment rate. Yet, there is always hope for Nepalese – especially women – which are not only majority of its population, but also the majority in Nepal’s workforce since farming is the prevalent profession.
With Nepalese women honing their entrepreneurial skills, they earn a chance to engage in almost any business they like. Following are some of small business opportunities for women in Nepal.
USAID: Lending a Hand to the Talented Nepali Women. For decades, USAID has been playing its part to evolve Nepal’s socio-economics. We support these brave and talented women that have come forth to improve their life and their community’s life. Nepal prospers with each and every woman empowered.
