Nepal has committed itself to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), 2000. Since then, Nepal has gone through many transformations: an armed conflict has ended; a monarchy has been abolished; the creation of a democracy has begun; a constituent assembly elected, dissolved and second constituent assembly elected; abortion has been legalized. However, while there has been a move towards equality and democracy, the status of women still remains a concern. While Nepal has been commended for its National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 and 1820, women’s inclusion in peace-building and transitional justice is still not deemed a priority. As a consequence of this, victims of sexual violence in conflict were excluded from the interim relief plan for conflict victims, and women continue to be excluded in political and decision-making positions at all levels. Impunity, political protection, and a patriarchal state and society continue denying access to justice for women facing gender-based violence. The legal system continues to discriminate against women with, among other provisions: a. Unequal rights to citizenship, b. A narrow definition of rape, c. A 35-day statute of limitation on reporting cases of rape, d. A ban on women under 30 years migrating to the Gulf for informal work such as domestic work, thus curtailing women’s freedom to mobility.

1. Where are
Nepali Women
in MDG
Nepal has committed itself to the
Millennium Development Goals
(MDG), 2000. Since then, Nepal
has gone through many
transformations: an armed
conflict has ended; a monarchy
has been abolished; the creation
of a democracy has begun; a
constituent assembly elected,
dissolved and second constituent
assembly elected; abortion has
been legalized. However, while
there has been a move towards
equality and democracy, the
status of women still remains a
concern.
While Nepal has been
commended for its National
Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 and
1820, women’s inclusion in
peace-building and transitional
justice is still not deemed a
priority. As a consequence of this,
victims of sexual violence in
www.worecnepal.org www.nawhrd.org
conflict were excluded from the
interim relief plan for conflict
victims, and women continue to
be excluded in political and
decision-making positions at all
levels. Impunity, political
protection, and a patriarchal state
and society continue denying
access to justice for women facing
gender-based violence. The legal
system continues to discriminate
against women with, among
other provisions:
a. Unequal rights to citizenship,
b. A narrow definition of rape,
c. A 35-day statute of limitation
on reporting cases of rape,
d. A ban on women under 30
years migrating to the Gulf for
informal work such as
domestic work, thus curtailing
women’s freedom to mobility.
1

2. 2
Eradicate Extreme
Poverty and Hunger
Significant gender gaps have been observed in employment rates. Women are in
exploitative forms of employment and have less access to social protection. Women
continue to bear a greater share of the work burden, and continue to have lower
incomes, less paid work, and less control over assets and resource than men. 1
MDG 1
Employment: 77% of married women are employed but 61% of them are not paid,
whereas 98% of men are employed and only 12% of them are not paid .
Average monthly wages : It is USD 35 for women against USD 58 for men.
Promote Gender Equality
and Empower Women
While women’s employment in the non-agricultural sector has more than doubled since
2000, their employment in government service remains minimal.4
While the proportion
of women holding seats in national parliament was at 33% until 2012, the commitment
of political parties to upholding this inclusion has faltered in the last election. Sexual and
gender-based violence continues to happen and so do impunity, a taboo around
women’s sexuality, and violations against women’s bodily integrity.
MDG 3
Gender-Based Violence
• Cases registered in a Year in Police5
677 cases of rape
245 cases of attempt to rape
144 cases of human trafficking
350 cases of polygamy
1800 cases of domestic
1 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), 2011
2 Central Bureau of Statistics (2009)
3 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), 2011
4 Nepal Millennium Development Goals, Progress Report (2013)
5 Registered at the Women and Children Service Directorate of the Nepal Police
(2012-2013)
id Western
r Western
estern
Domestic violence
61%
Social Violence
17%
Rape
11%
Attempted Rape
2%
Murder
2%
Attempted Murder
1%
Sexual Violence
3%
Trafficking
1%
Suicide
1%
Others
1%
Types of VAW
VAW cases percentage out ot total 1703 (Source: Anbeshi 2013, WOREC)
Types of VAW (July 2012- June 2013)
We highlight the following areas of MDG that demonstrate gaps in the status of gender
equality and women’s rights:

3. Improve
Maternal Health
While progress towards MDG 5 has continued to look promising, the picture
continues to show disparities between urban and rural settings, geographic
regions, and social and economic groups.8
Discriminatory practises, such as
chhaupadi and child marriage continue.
MDG 5
In November 2012, 20-year-old Sita Rai returned to Nepal
after three years of working as domestic helper in Saudia
Arabia. She was arrested at the airport for possessing a fake
passport, and taken to the immigrations department. There a
police constable, Parsuram Basnet, robbed her of all her
savings from her three years of work, around USD 2,300. After
a night, she was allowed to go home. Basnet offered to help
her, but instead took her to a hotel and raped her repeatedly.
A case of rape against Basnet, and cases of cheating and
corruption against all four of the accused were filed only after
much pressure from civil society. Basnet has received only five
and a half years in prison for the rape, and Sita is to receive
compensation of only around USD 500 in the case of rape. Two
seniors have been exonerated by the lower court, while Khanal
and Basnet have received one year in prison and a fine of Rs.
5,000 for the robbery. The case of corruption is on-going at a
special court. A 20-year-old was robbed of all her savings, and
raped. Through a combination of abusive state officials, a
negligent state, and a problematic legal framework, the
accused have received minimal punishment and Sita still has
not received the full amount that was stolen from her.
Case Study: Sita Rai
• Women that have
suffered from
physical violence at
some point since age
15: 22% 6
• Women who have
suffered from
spousal or partner
abuse at some point
in time: 32% 7
Political participation:
There are 30% of women in
current Constituent
Assembly (CA), which is less
than in the previous CA and
constitutional mandate
(33%).
Gender Inequality Index:
102 out of 148.
• Though the maternal mortality ratio has
reduced from 415 in 2000 to 170 in 20139
, it
is still high.
• At least 10% of women suffer from uterine
prolapse.10
• Births delivered in a health facility (% of births)
is 35% but there is wide gap between urban
(71%) and rural (32%).
6 National Demographic Health Survey, 2011
7 Ibid
8 Nepal Millennium Development Goals, Progress Report (2013)
9 Maternal Mortality Ratio per 100,000 live births; Nepal Millennium
Development Goals, Progress Report 2013
10 Amnesty International 2014
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4. We advocate for following demands
instance reports of violence against
women are registered immediately.
Ensure action against police officers
who do not register reports. Create a
judicial system that respects and
responds to the rights of women
and survivors of gender-based
violence.
5) Create immediately a mechanism
where conflict-era cases of sexual
violence are investigated and
prosecuted. 8 years have passed
since the end of the conflict – cases
of sexual violence, amongst other
war crimes, need to be investigated
and prosecuted.
6) Change attitudes. Create a state and
society that respects a woman’s
right to bodily integrity, her right to
control over her actions, ideas,
aspirations, mobility. And ensure her
access to remedy in cases of
violation of any of these rights.
WOREC Nepal
PO Box 13233, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: (977)-1-2123124; (977)-1-5006373.
Fax: (977)-1-5006271 Email: ics@worecnepal.org
National Alliance of Women Human Rights Defenders
(NAWHRD)
Balkumari, Lalitpur, Nepal
Tel: (977)-1-5529841
Email: secretariat@nawhrd.org
www.worecnepal.org www.nawhrd.org
1) Ensure women’s representation in
the Constituent Assembly. There are
26 candidates left to be nominated
to the Constituent Assembly by the
Council of Ministers. Lobby with the
Council to ensure that at least 50%
of those candidates nominated are
women.
2) Strengthen national mechanisms to
address gender-based violence.
Make the National Women’s
Commission and the National
Human Rights Commission
independent constitutional bodies
with the power to initiate action
against cases of violence against
women, including conflict-era cases.
3) Ensure proper documentation of
cases of gender-based violence.
Ensure thorough and systemized
documentation of cases of
gender-based violence, including
conflict-era cases.
4) Ensure women’s access to justice.
Create a mechanism to ensure first
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