Untitled - Care Nepal

“If we go to meet some friends from mothers
group to share problems, then society criticizes
us by saying that for the sake of money we go to
INGO and NGO but the fact is only
known by us”.
“There is a belief that if girls are married before
their menstruation period they will go to heaven
after their death, thus they are married at their
early ages, bear children at young stage and
suffer through weakness. Hence they
become unhealthy”.
(A woman aged 22, Unmarried, Dalit,
teacher in Makawanpur)
The focus group discussion with men
illustrated that they were not well-informed
about the interests of women or the likes,
dislikes and wishes of women. It was
identified that men did not give attention
towards the wishes of women.
“They need to do their work whether they
like it or not, so why should women
complain? It does not make any sense”, said
by the FGD participated men in Chitwan.
From the perception of different FGD
groups (landless, Dalit, Janajati, men), the
issues identified were different. The
respondents said that Brahmin and Chettri
women have less freedom in terms of
mobility, they receive less support from
family members; and are more excluded and
restricted by rituals than women of other
castes. Dalit women complained more about
the discrimination committed by so called
upper caste people. Men indicated that they
had little awareness of the needs and wishes
of women and admitted that they never
asked about these things.
ECONOMIC ISSUES
Almost all the KII respondents mentioned
that economic factors are the major source
of problems which restricted their lives. It
was shared that women were forced to work
as laborers to help their families survive.
Without doing so, it was difficult to feed
and take care of their children properly.
Additionally, participants explained that
even educated women as well as men went
abroad to earn money. Still, women were
not allowed to spend the money earned
independently; they had to ask to their
parents in -laws for permission to spend
money even though it was sent to them by
their husband from abroad.
Research participants mentioned that due
to a lack of money, women could not go to
the market. This resulted in a difficulty to
feed and take care of their children properly.
As a result they had to work as laborer
unwillingly.
Similarly landless women expressed their
view regarding the unavailability of land.
They shared that they had to survive by dong
work in other’s home for 6 months which
created lot of work pressure to women. It
was found that land less women from
Chitwan have had multiple difficulties. It
was shared by the women that they were
fearful that army would destroy the houses
or would threaten them to leave as their
houses are nearby the national park.
Moreover women shared that they have a
fear of criminal groups who come from
22
Psychosocial Issues of
Women affected by conflict