GETTING TO KNOW NEPAL

A list of those who disappeared during the civil war

When news broke of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal on April 25 and WFWP USA began a campaign to raise funds for the victims, I took stock of what I knew about the country and quickly realized that it wasn't much. I knew that it is a generally mountainous country nestled between India and China; and it is home to Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth.

What about the people, culture, and history? Had it been colonized by the British Empire as was the case with many of its neighbors? Is it predominantly Muslim like Pakistan and Bangladesh, predominantly Hindu like India, or something else? I knew that Nepal had suffered from a long-standing civil war between the government and so-called "Maoist" rebel groups. However, was that a current situation or had that conflict ended? Since my educational background is in International Development, I also wondered about the state of poverty in Nepal and what are its major challenges to development. Though this article cannot explain all the intricate facets of a country such as Nepal, I hope to shed some light on the reality of its people.

While its neighbors, India and China, have been lauded for their tremendous economic development in recent years, Nepal is still lagging behind as one of the world's poorest nations. The country is still dealing with the aftermath of a decade long civil war, which officially ended only nine years ago, in 2006. Landlocked and with few natural resources, tourism could provide a tremendous boost to the economy—Nepal is home to 8 of the 10 tallest mountains in the world—but political instability has seriously impeded the development of the tourism industry.

For much of its history as a unified country, Nepal has been ruled by a monarchy. However, from the 1950s onward, the country has experienced a tumultuous history of struggle between the monarchy and forces calling for democracy. Following three decades of agitation from pro-democracy groups, in 1990, the king capitulated and formed a constitutional monarchy and multi-party system. However, the relative peace was fleeting. On February 13, 1994, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) launched a "People's War" with the aim of abolishing the monarchy and establishing a "People's Republic." After ten years of civil war, the government and Maoist insurgents signed the Comprehensive Peace Accord in November 2006 and the 240 year old monarchy was abolished. The conflict claimed between 15,000 to 17,000 lives, mostly civilians, and displaced an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 people.

Elementary school children

While Nepal may finally be on the road to peace, that road is still fraught with many difficulties. For example, although the country is technically a democracy, corruption in all levels of government is rampant. According to Transparency International, a watchdog agency which rates countries according to citizens' perception of corruption, Nepal ranks 126 out of 175 nations (with the number one country being the least corrupt). Out of a score of 100—with 100 being the least amount of corruption and 0 being the most—Nepal received a dismal score of 29. Furthermore, during the years of civil war, it is the people of Nepal who have suffered the most. With an unstable government, important investments which are necessary to bring a country out of poverty are overlooked or underdeveloped: investments in promoting universal education, building infrastructure such as roads, or diversifying the economy.

Currently, approximately 25 percent of Nepal's population lives in poverty. Nepal is also incredibly low on the United Nations' Human Development Index—which measures access to knowledge, standard of living, and the longevity and health of life—ranking 145th out of 187 nations. Another important indicator of a country's development is literacy rates, or the percent of the population above the age of 15 who can read and write. Nepal's literacy rate according to the 2011 census was a low 57.4 percent. However, these statistics are deceptive since there are several demographic factors which interact with poverty such as gender and caste.

Nepal is a predominantly Hindu nation, about 81.3 percent of the population is Hindu, and, similar to India, social hierarchy and discrimination based on the Hindu caste system are still ingrained in Nepalese society despite being legally abolished in 1963. Traditionally, the Brahmin (scholars and priests) were at the top, followed by Chhetri (warriors), Vaishya (merchants) and Sudra (peasants and laborers). Non-Hindu indigenous groups were brought into the system with middle-rank status. Below all these groups were the occupational groups considered impure, the so-called "untouchables" who now refer to themselves as Dalits. Even though in recent years, Nepal has reduced its national poverty rate (it was 42 percent in 1996), some groups benefited more than others. Current poverty rates among Brahmin and Chhetri is 18 percent but 46 percent among Dalits, 41 percent among Muslims, and 35 percent among indigenous groups of the southern plains region.

Nepalese child bride

As is common in many developing nations such as Nepal, the historically patriarchal society has systematically relegated women to subservient positions. As mentioned above, while literacy rates for all of Nepal is 57.4 percent, disaggregated by gender, the rate is 71.1 percent among males and 46.7 percent among females. The role of women and caste then interact to form a complex web of marginalization in which women among the lower castes are typically the most marginalized. For example, Dalit women from the plains region have the lowest literacy rate, a dismal 17 percent and 85 percent are without any education. It is shocking that the majority of these women are unable to perform a basic function of society, reading and writing. Among Muslims, 78 percent of women and 42 percent of men are without any education. Studies have shown that children of women who are illiterate are less likely to complete or even attend school than those with mothers who are literate. Without an education, there is very little opportunity to get out of poverty and the cycle of poverty continues generation after generation.

Though there has been progress in recent years in the status of women in terms of political inclusion, property rights, maternal health, and other areas, there remain many hurdles. For example, in some regions the practice of Chhaupadi, a custom that forces women to live in the stable while menstruating, is still alive. In 2012, 64 percent of Nepalese women suffered from domestic violence; this number is likely higher due to the fact that domestic violence is typically underreported. Another major barrier to improving the status of women is the practice of child marriage. Nepal is seventh among the top 20 countries identified as hotspots for child marriage; the prevalence of child marriage is about 30 percent. Girls who are married at adolescence are less likely to complete their education and are more likely to experience complications in pregnancy.

Though I have only scratched the surface on the situation of Nepal, it is clear that it has an uphill battle to improving its status as one of the poorest countries in the world. Efforts to develop the country are hindered by Nepal's tumultuous history of political instability, civil war, and corruption. Historically marginalized groups—women, lower castes, and non-Hindu groups—have the most to lose if improvements are not made as well as the most to gain if the government, national and international NGOs and foreign aid donors continue to invest in improving the lives of those who need help the most. It is clear that the work for WFWP will need to continue in Nepal well beyond the immediate relief efforts.