Nepal

Nepal lies between India and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. Prior to the establishment of a constitutional republic in 2008, it was ruled by a monarchy. Despite its rich cultural, religious, and physical beauty, Nepal is one of the poorest nations in the world, with a long history of political instability. A ten-year civil war starting in 1996 displaced nearly 250,000 people. These internally displaced communities are just now beginning the difficult return home. Unfortunately, Nepal continues to suffer from occasional bombings, general strikes and ongoing political volatility ... more

Nepal lies between India and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. Prior to the establishment of a constitutional republic in 2008, it was ruled by a monarchy. Despite its rich cultural, religious, and physical beauty, Nepal is one of the poorest nations in the world, with a long history of political instability. A ten-year civil war starting in 1996 displaced nearly 250,000 people. These internally displaced communities are just now beginning the difficult return home. Unfortunately, Nepal continues to suffer from occasional bombings, general strikes and ongoing political volatility within its borders.

Violence Against Women

Nepal's civil war was marked by well-documented human rights abuses, including sexual violence against women, forced abortions to decrease the number of female children, female infanticide, and trafficking of women into prostitution. Girls were also forcibly recruited into rebel armies. Even now, after the end of the civil war, there are more than 118 legal provisions as well as customs, rituals, and practices that directly discriminate against Nepalese women. Child marriage and child labor are a continuing problem, as is human trafficking. Educational differences also contribute to the low status of women—only 35% of Nepalese women are considered literate compared to 63% of men.

Economy

Nepal’s topography has made it difficult to develop consistent access to roads and markets, compounding the poverty found throughout the country. The UN estimates that about 40% of Nepalis live in poverty. Most of the population depends on agriculture, cultivating rice, corn, sugarcane, and tobacco. Many of these crops are profitable in small-scale production, but are becoming less sustainable as deforestation takes its toll on the environment. Foreign aid is vital to the economy, and Nepal is also heavily dependent on trade with neighboring India. Nepal's ethnic groups have a rich heritage, which has been a source of income for communities seeking entrance into the tourism industry. Most Nepalis, however, live in remote and hard-to-reach regions, where it can take two or three days on arduous mountain paths just to reach public transport.

 

 

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