Caste-based discrimination in Nepal - International Dalit Solidarity ...

Caste-based Discrimination in Nepal
Krishna B. Bhattachan, Tej B. Sunar and Yasso Kanti Bhattachan(Gauchan)
including family members, neighbours and strangers. Although such practices
are disappearing, yet gender discrimination against Madhesis women, including
Madhesi Dalit women, is still more severe than in the Hill communities.
According to a Report prepared by the Human Rights Watch in 1999:
“In Nepal, Dalit women are economically marginalized and exploited, both
within and outside their families. As the largest group of those engaged in
manual labor and agricultural production, their jobs often include waste
disposal, clearing carcasses, and doing leatherwork. Despite their grueling
tasks and long hours, exploitative wages ensure that Dalit women are
unable to earn a subsistence living. In some rural areas Dalit women scarcely
earn ten to twenty kilograms of food grain a year, barely enough to sustain
a family. Many have been driven to prostitution. One caste in particular,
known as [B]adi caste, is trafficked for sex-work into Indian brothels.”
(Quoted by CHRGJ 2005:13)
Dalit scholars see contradiction in presentation of data by the NEW ERA and
the Human Rights Watch. The NEW ERA mentions that the number of trafficked
Dalit women is second highest but the Human Rights Watch mentions that one
caste in particular Badi are trafficked into sex work. 6 It is indeed a bitter fact
that the number of Dalit women belonging to different Dalit castes trafficked
for sex work is indeed high. Such women become victim of trafficking due to
many factors including poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and lack of awareness.
Regional Discrimination against Hill Dalit Women and Girls: All Madhesis
are discriminated by the Hill people on regional grounds because the Hill people,
particularly, Bahun-Chhetris, have control over the State machinery since 1769.
All Madhesis are treated like second-class citizens and often treated like non-
Nepalese. Prior to 1950, Madhesis needed permission for enter into the
Kathmandu Valley. The Nepal Sadvabana Party and Madhesi leaders claim that
4 million Madhesis were deprived from citizenship certificates out of which
almost all Madhesis Dalits were deprived from it. As half of the population is of
women and girls, obviously almost all Madhesi women have been deprived
from the citizenship certificates. The Nepal Government has made a political
decision to distribute citizenship certificates at the doorsteps, all Dalit women
and men are expected to get it but poverty, illiteracy and lack of awareness
may deprive some Madhesi Dalits from getting it.
Linguistic Discrimination against Non-Khas Nepali Language speaking Dalit
Women and Girls: Hill Dalits, like Hill Bahun and Chhetris, speak Khas Nepali
language, which is the only official language of Nepal and also is considered as
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