Women in Nepal

Women slave in their households and fields day after day, carrying crippling loads, and holding the burdens of society silently on their backs. They do their work thanklessly and without pay. Although the law states that Nepali men and women receive equal rights... in practice this is not the case.

The future for the rural woman of Nepal is far from bright and promising. The majority of these overworked women are uneducated and under privileged. They sorely lack self-confidence and due to the attitude of the prevailing cultural society do not consider themselves on par with men. They carry the weight of the caste system, the pressure of the dowry system, and the guilt of being a burden to their family.

In too many cases these women may be victims of both physical and mental abuse. Many women are bound to lives that are detrimental to their well being and that of their children, perpetuating a cycle of ignorance and dependence. Deprived of an education and discriminated against in the job market, the rural woman has little choice but to work in the fields. Her future options are bleak.

We wish to provide an alternative for women who yearn to break out of the role that society dictates. Uneducated women with the hunger to learn, under privileged women with the desire to better their lives, and all women who strive for independence find refuge here. These are strong women, who given the chance and a little support, will change the world.

Electricity possibility in nepal

Nepal land is blessed with enormous amount of Water, sources of which comes from the mighty Himalayan Range. Hydropower is the major source of Electricity in this country. World's 20% of electricity is by Hydropower. In contrary, 96% of electricity in Nepal is by Hydropower - That says a lot of Nature Power of Nepal. Hydropower electricity is environment friendly - no pollution in air or in land, and, is also the most efficient method of all.
Yet, Despite the vast amount of source, not all sources have been used in Nepal. Many small to large scale private-run and Government owned companies operate their hydropower projects throughout Nepal.
Nepal has the capacity to produce upto Eight Five Thousand Megawats of Electricity - 85,000 megawatts. Today, country produces less than 50% of that capacity.
Why Can't Nepal Produce Enough Power ?
Due to lack of electricity, many parts of Nepal share electricity. Ask any Nepali who lives here if they like the word - Load Shedding, a term commonly used in Radio/Tvs and Publications to notify public of schedule of electricity for the comming week. Nepal has extreme land. Transportation for any construction in rural parts of Nepal is a major challenge. Many major hydropower projects require years, if not decades. Nepal realizes the problem and the need to generate electricity quickly. So, small hydropower projects, which can be done by small farmers or a group of villages, are being constructed across Nepal.

About Nepal

   Nepal is a federal republic with approximately 29 million inhabitants. Nepal has two neighboring countries. 

On the north side is that China and India lies to the south.The landscape of Nepal is varied. In the north, the Himalayan mountain ranges and the swampy lowlands of the Terai in the south. In between hills and fertile valleys. Furthermore, bamboo and many existing primary forests and rivers. Nepal is characterized by many climate zones. In the Himalayan mountains is an alpine climate with constant frost. In the south in the Terai and Churai a warm and humid subtropical climate.In the central part of Nepal is a temperate climate. The capital Kathmandu has around 800,000 inhabitants and its many attractions Buddhist temples and places and Durbar Square, with the royal place. Furthermore, the Thamel tourist district and the ancient architecture. At the world Heritage list of UNESCO,the national parks of Sagarmatha and Royal Chitwan, Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha and The Kathmandu valley with mire than 130 monuments including Chajgu Narayan, Swayambhunath Stupa, Bouddhanath stupa, the Pashupatinath temple and the three Durbar squares of the cities Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Sights are the many parks, the city of Pokhara, flora and Fauna and the many places of pilgrimage.

Caste system in nepal

The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. The term "caste," when used in a cultural context, is usually in conjunction with the social division in Hindu society, particularly in India although a form of the caste system was prevalent in many ancient societies, and in particular feudal societies.
In ancient India there developed a social system in which people were divided into separate close communities. These communities are known in English as caste. The origin of the caste system is in Hinduism but it affected the whole Indian society later it has transmitted to Nepal. The caste system in the religious form is basically a simple division of society in which there is four castes arranged in a hierarchy and below them the outcast. But socially the caste system was more complicated, with much more castes and sub-castes and other divisions. Legally the government disallows the practice of caste system but has a policy of affirmative discrimination of the backward classes.
In Hinduism there exists four castes arranged in a hierarchy. Anyone who does not belong to one of these castes is an outcast. The religious word for caste is 'Varna'. Each Varna has certain duties and rights. Each Varna members have to work in certain occupation, which only those Varna members are allowed. Each Varna has certain type of diet. The highest Varna is of the Brahman. Members of this class are priests and the educated people of the society. The Varna after them in hierarchy is Kshatria. The members of this class are the rulers and aristocrats of the society. After them are the Vaisia. Members of this class are the landlords and businessmen of the society. After them in hierarchy is the Sudra. Members of this class are the peasants and working class of the society who work in non-polluting jobs. The caste hierarchy ends here. Below these castes are the outcasts who are untouchable to the four castes. These untouchables worked in degrading jobs like cleaning, sewage etc. (Arora: 1998:84,The Concept of Impurity and Hindu caste System)
The first three castes had social and economical rights, which the Sudra and the untouchables did not have. The first three castes are also seen as 'twice born'. The intention in these two births is to the natural birth and to the ceremonial entrance to the society at a much later age.
Each Varna and also the untouchables and ethnic group in case of Nepal are divided into many communities. These communities are called Jat or Jati (The caste is also used instead of Jat). For example the Brahmans have Jats called Dhakal, Bhattarai, Marasini etc. The untouchable have Jats Kami, Damai, Sarki and Doom, Chammar in the case of terai system and Pode, Chame etc in the case of Newar.But there is no such division of society on the basis of caste in ethnic group although we can find some class differences among this group. Each Jat members are allowed to marry only with their Jat members. People are born into their Jat and it cannot be changed. Once if some one is born to certain cast he/she cannot be change to another jat except in the case of women when they are married they may change to other clan but not jat.If a man is born as Kami he cannot be a Brahmin and Brahmin cannot be a Kami,so caste is a permanent attribute among the Hindu.
Religiously anyone who does not belong to the four Varnas is an outcast and untouchable. It means, all foreigners and non-Hindus are all supposed to be untouchables, in the case of Nepal all the ethnic group should fall in this categories but Muluki Ain has incorporated the entire ethnic group into Caste hierarchy. But in reality neither all foreigners nor non-Hindus were treated as untouchables.
This is the how the caste system is supposed to be in its religious form. But in reality it is much more complicated and different from its religious form.

Nepal's education system

After the overthrow of the Rana Regime in 1951, great effort was taken to establish Nepal Education System. National Education Planning Commission was established in 1954, National Education Committee in 1964 and National Education Advisory Board in 1968. All these efforts were undertaken to upgrade Nepal Education System. Education of Nepal has only recently started to develop. Nepal education has suffered a lot during Rana Regime here when education was suppressed and after that Education was given to aristocratic people of the society. New Education System of Nepal was established in 1971. As a part of the five year plan, it was established to address individual needs, needs of society as a whole to mark national development. The main objective of Education system of Nepal was to develop midlevel managers and skilled man power. Universal Primary education with emphasis on Nepali medium was the main agenda. In 1980, there was increase in private schools. Free school education policy and education for all became the slogan in 90's. Nepal's education system is based on the pattern of United States. It has received much help while forming the curriculum. From Grade 1- 5 is considered primary education while, 6-8 secondary and 9-10 upper secondary. The classes 11 and 12 are together considered higher secondary. A school leaving Certificate is granted to students after passing class ten. Education, Science, Humanities are the streams offered after for Higher Secondary and a certificate is issued after exam. Technical schools are also there.