Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI)
Nepal is a country of cultural diversity with over 100 ethnic groups. Nepalese rulers prioritized Hindu norms and values. The Hinduization campaign was intensified by rulers for around four decades during the Panchayat regime. Thus, Nepalese society is largely shaped by Hindu norms and values. It is characterized by subordination of females. Rigid gender roles persist in society. Women have been deprived of mobility, higher education, access to resources, training and pay on a par with their male counterparts. Women are assaulted in the name of practicing witchcraft. Heinous crimes like rape and acid attack on women continue to make headlines.
Similarly, many ethnic communities in Nepal have been marginalized. Ethnic communities like Chepang, Tamang, Danuwar and Dalits like Musahar, Gadharva, Badi and Pode continue to be deprived of state facilities and lack access to education and hence, better job opportunities. The Government of Nepal has adopted the policy of reservation in its bid to lift the status of marginalized communities. Most of the INGOs working in the development sector have implemented programs on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). They have adopted the GESI approach in the hiring of staff and in designing development programs.
