Gender Equity : An Gender Equity : An Important Stake for Socio –Important Stake for Socio –Economic Development in Economic Development in

National/ International National/ International Scenario Scenario

This theme is illustrated This theme is illustrated under nine sub under nine sub

–heading/segments –heading/segments

Brief ReviewBrief ReviewGeneral perceptionGeneral perceptionWorking women’s rights and Gender Working women’s rights and Gender

equalityequalityApplication of ILO conviction in national Application of ILO conviction in national

levellevelGender mainstreaming Gender mainstreaming Nepalese experiences and endeavorsNepalese experiences and endeavorsGlimpse of MadheshGlimpse of MadheshGlobalization Globalization Concluding notesConcluding notes

Brief ReviewBrief Review

Problematic situation of the country Problematic situation of the country needs determinations, commitments / needs determinations, commitments / actions from concerned stakesactions from concerned stakes

To ease the present situation To ease the present situation deprivations/ discriminations need to deprivations/ discriminations need to be rooted outbe rooted out

In this context gender equality most In this context gender equality most favored & urgent agendafavored & urgent agenda

It is the foundation for socio –economic It is the foundation for socio –economic development development

General perception General perception Progress has been achieved, yet women Progress has been achieved, yet women

facing disadvantaged position in every facing disadvantaged position in every sectorsector

Unawareness to their rights, push women Unawareness to their rights, push women back in society – pointed out in Beijing back in society – pointed out in Beijing PlatformPlatform

For national action –responded by ILO For national action –responded by ILO emphasizing to raise awarenessemphasizing to raise awareness

NGOs contributions for gender equity and NGOs contributions for gender equity and women’s empowerment in communitywomen’s empowerment in community

Care should be taken to promote women in Care should be taken to promote women in production sector…..for equalityproduction sector…..for equality

General PerceptionGeneral Perception

Women exceeding 50% of the total Women exceeding 50% of the total populationpopulation

Literacy rate 43% of their populationLiteracy rate 43% of their populationEconomically active 48.5%Economically active 48.5%Among economically active 91% Among economically active 91%

agricultureagricultureContribution in GDP not less than 50%Contribution in GDP not less than 50%

General PerceptionGeneral Perception

Women are delivering their triple Women are delivering their triple role.role.

Ownership/ control over assets cut Ownership/ control over assets cut down.down.

Self employment and SMEs.Self employment and SMEs.Women headed households Women headed households

increasing .increasing .Women are poorest among the poor.Women are poorest among the poor.

Working women’s rights & their Working women’s rights & their equalityequality

Discrimination is combination of all forms Discrimination is combination of all forms of gender based violence – needs to be of gender based violence – needs to be addressed addressed

ILO research - female migrant domestic ILO research - female migrant domestic workers face high risk at work placeworkers face high risk at work place

International agenda for development International agenda for development demands –equitable socio-economic demands –equitable socio-economic development & freedom from povertydevelopment & freedom from poverty

women are largest disadvantaged group women are largest disadvantaged group insisting gender equality on top priority in insisting gender equality on top priority in international development schemesinternational development schemes

Working women’s rights & their Working women’s rights & their equalityequality

Right based approach demands eliminating Right based approach demands eliminating all discriminationsall discriminations

Awareness on Rights and its effectiveness is Awareness on Rights and its effectiveness is the key area for operationthe key area for operation

Trade unions play leading roles to safe Trade unions play leading roles to safe guard in right of both sexes for equal guard in right of both sexes for equal remuneration, opportunities / treatments remuneration, opportunities / treatments

Right to form, join trade unions without Right to form, join trade unions without discrimination is guaranteed by conventionsdiscrimination is guaranteed by conventions

Disciplinary measures, interventions against Disciplinary measures, interventions against violence, collective agreements, awareness violence, collective agreements, awareness raising are methods to combat violenceraising are methods to combat violence

Application of ILO conviction in Application of ILO conviction in National levelNational level

Gender mainstreaming helps to Gender mainstreaming helps to ensure equal access for men & ensure equal access for men & womenwomen

Emphasis on Govt.’s positive duty to Emphasis on Govt.’s positive duty to prevent discrimination/promote prevent discrimination/promote equalityequality

Majority engage in agriculture than Majority engage in agriculture than other sectors other sectors

Application of ILO conviction in Application of ILO conviction in National levelNational level

Women workers occupied mostly in Women workers occupied mostly in farming farming

Women endure unpaid and long hours Women endure unpaid and long hours worksworks

For protection against adverse condition For protection against adverse condition IL standards adopted right of association IL standards adopted right of association for rural workers to raise voicefor rural workers to raise voice

This can benefit women only when they This can benefit women only when they are aware are aware

Gender MainstreamingGender Mainstreaming

Gender mainstreaming identified as global Gender mainstreaming identified as global strategy for gender equality in 4strategy for gender equality in 4thth world world conference 1995conference 1995

Gender mainstreaming is not a goal but Gender mainstreaming is not a goal but means to gender equalitymeans to gender equality

Gender budgeting is one of the most Gender budgeting is one of the most effective tool to promote the concepteffective tool to promote the concept

In developing economy this strategy brings In developing economy this strategy brings into light women’s unpaid works - stake for into light women’s unpaid works - stake for development in form of cross cutting tooldevelopment in form of cross cutting tool

Nepalese Experiences & Nepalese Experiences & EndevourEndevour

Nepal’s transitional phase with Nepal’s transitional phase with enormous changes fueling peoples enormous changes fueling peoples aspiration aspiration

But the situation of violence/ political But the situation of violence/ political un stability making the situation un stability making the situation worseworse

Women/children /deprived struggling Women/children /deprived struggling everywhere against discriminationeverywhere against discrimination

Nepal’s transitional phase with Nepal’s transitional phase with enormous changes fueling peoples enormous changes fueling peoples aspiration aspiration

But the situation of violence/ politicalBut the situation of violence/ political

Nepalese Experiences & EndevourNepalese Experiences & Endevour

Human rights /good governance -Human rights /good governance -instruments to advocate/promote voice of instruments to advocate/promote voice of concerns concerns

But not applied appropriately…lacking But not applied appropriately…lacking strong mechanism strong mechanism

Gender based discrimination – Rampant in Gender based discrimination – Rampant in Nepal affecting all women Nepal affecting all women

Issue can be addressed by responsible Issue can be addressed by responsible approaches with women’s participation in approaches with women’s participation in development/ MP3Wdevelopment/ MP3W

NepaleseNepalese Experiences / Experiences / Endeavors Endeavors

Rights & empowerment Rights & empowerment complementary to each othercomplementary to each other

Rahat…. launched orientation on Rahat…. launched orientation on capacity building of female workers capacity building of female workers on cabin restaurants in 2006/07on cabin restaurants in 2006/07

Sessions - for safe guarding Sessions - for safe guarding professional interest.. enabling them professional interest.. enabling them to deliver result oriented outputsto deliver result oriented outputs

NepaleseNepalese Experiences / Experiences / Endeavor Endeavor

During the research work for Ph.D. it During the research work for Ph.D. it was discovered women workers are was discovered women workers are not only suppressed, their legal not only suppressed, their legal social & economical rights violatedsocial & economical rights violated

Realization professional interest can Realization professional interest can be safe guarded to some extent –be safe guarded to some extent –bringing informal into formal onebringing informal into formal one

Glimpse of MadheshGlimpse of Madhesh

Madhesh emerge with all sectoral Madhesh emerge with all sectoral potentialities for developmentpotentialities for development

Various issues / problems are Various issues / problems are connected with the Regionconnected with the Region

The Region is featured by deficiency The Region is featured by deficiency in peace practice, progress and in peace practice, progress and various gender based violence various gender based violence

Glimpse of MadheshGlimpse of Madhesh

Despite women are upcoming in all Despite women are upcoming in all development sectorsdevelopment sectors

Agriculture –prime sector, they are Agriculture –prime sector, they are making differences in SMEs/ self making differences in SMEs/ self employment, micro credit etcemployment, micro credit etc

Awareness for health, literacy / skill Awareness for health, literacy / skill promotion, security of migrant workers, promotion, security of migrant workers, poverty reduction need to be launched poverty reduction need to be launched by GOs /NGOsby GOs /NGOs

GlobalizationGlobalization

Liberalization/ FDI rapid growth of Liberalization/ FDI rapid growth of technology, IT, mobility of capital/ labor technology, IT, mobility of capital/ labor –features – globalization – global village –features – globalization – global village

Female participation in paid Female participation in paid employment –increased considerably employment –increased considerably but not led to all sectorsbut not led to all sectors

Significant rise in women entrepreneurs Significant rise in women entrepreneurs –both formal /informal economies–both formal /informal economies

GlobalizationGlobalization

Women’s primary responsibility, caring Women’s primary responsibility, caring home/ family –important determinants of home/ family –important determinants of gender based inequality –disadvantages in gender based inequality –disadvantages in labor marketlabor market

Work –life balance –refers productive, Work –life balance –refers productive, reproductive and community role for womenreproductive and community role for women

But the concept is not confined to women But the concept is not confined to women only –it is life long learning for male/female –only –it is life long learning for male/female –sharing between male/ female sharing between male/ female responsibilities in family households and responsibilities in family households and work placework place

Concluding notesConcluding notes

Gender based discrimination –Gender based discrimination –extensive in Nepal resulting women extensive in Nepal resulting women in low profilein low profile

They lag behind because of They lag behind because of disparities –but some differences disparities –but some differences came up with their strong voices in came up with their strong voices in social/ political spheres …still long social/ political spheres …still long way to goway to go

Concluding notesConcluding notes

Madhesh –an important stake from Madhesh –an important stake from national perspectivesnational perspectives

Powerful source of revenue but still Powerful source of revenue but still not seriously addressed & stepped to not seriously addressed & stepped to its various agendas / issuesits various agendas / issues

Its indigenous inhabitants… ignored Its indigenous inhabitants… ignored for long, currently issues are for long, currently issues are highlighted.highlighted.

Concluding noteConcluding note

Local language speaking groups of all Local language speaking groups of all communities need to bring into communities need to bring into mainstreaming mainstreaming

Women of all communities/ parts…. are Women of all communities/ parts…. are important stakes for important stakes for development….obviously discrimination is development….obviously discrimination is serious threat to go forward…. which needs serious threat to go forward…. which needs to be rooted out –to be rooted out –

Should be supplemented by notion of Should be supplemented by notion of gender equality enhancing women’s gender equality enhancing women’s participation in developmentparticipation in development

Thank YouThank YouProf. Madhavi Singh Shah Ph.D.Prof. Madhavi Singh Shah Ph.D.

Central Department of Central Department of Economics, Tribhuvan Economics, Tribhuvan

University, NepalUniversity, Nepal