Changing Status of Women in High Caste Nepal

Changing Status of Women in High Caste Nepal

This essay is based on findings of the recent research carried out entitled Identity politics of Chhetri People; establishment of Chhetri Samaj and women participation and mass mobilization in identity issue'. The argument here, I shall put forward are relevant to Lynn Bennett's findings on the book Dangerous Wives and Sacred Sisters; social and symbolic roles of high caste women in Nepal.' For the purpose of this essay, I shall refer to my two week long field work experience and findings. Many articles and research have been carried out and published on the subject matter of identity politics in Nepal. The major political parties' activities and their decisions regarding ethnicity based federalism are beyond the scope of this essay. This essay will analyze the experience of higher caste women and their effort of change through social organization in Pokhara based on my research findings, with reference to the arguments concerning government reservation policy to women, dalit and disadvantaged groups.

Century long traditional social practices of joint family, as well as lack of an adequate environment, are major factors in women subordination and suppression within the private domain of family. On the top of which there is a patriarchal social system, which is one of the major taboo in women's development. In addition to the field observation and questionnaires survey I also conducted some in depth interviews with different age group of women from 16 years to 81 years. They all have different experience of own domination within the family. In response of my question on why you feel better to join on caste based organization, all of their responses were family suppression and government's prejudicial reservation system and categorization as other in Interim constitution were main factors to push them.

A further argument in the support of higher participation and mass mobilization of women group in Chhetri Samaj is the ethnic communities' extreme behaviour to caste group in Pokhara. Furthermore, many women are joining in that organization in the against of ethnic communities slogan Bahun jati Kashi ja Chhetri jati phasi ja'; for example in my finding 53 % of women said they are involved in Chhetri Samaj in the against of ethnic extremism and 47% of women are involved to alter the government's discriminatory provision of reservation for other group such as Brahaman and Chhetri people(Bhandari, 2010). Moreover, most of the educated women are dissatisfied with government's discriminatory provision rather than ethnic communities' slogan. For example in my finding 72% of educated women are raised their frustration of prejudicial policy of government.

There are pros and cons to examine government's reservation policy to women, ethnic community dalits as well as disadvantaged group. For example, Chhetri women also getting the chance to participate in women quota in public service commission's examination but if there are other women from ethnic communities and dalits, their participation is valueless in selection. Moreover, the extent collective participation of women is changing social subordinate role of the women in private sphere and leading them towards the public sphere of women organization, such as mother association, mother civil society etc. Apart from patriarchal social system the notion of women's agency is helping to raise their voice in order to establish their rights in social and national level. Every woman has the right to participate in public sphere, but at the same time there is social obligation to caring and raring the children in private sphere due to their physical structure. Despite the fact, that their collective effort through the umbrella organization Chhetri Samaj is positive in order to highlights their rights in public and private sphere.

Bennett's arguments are mainly based on the Mary Douglas's notion power and dangers credited to social structure are reproduced in small in the human body' and Sandy's theory of female power and male dominance' to understand Hindu society, cultural and social factors by projecting various myth, ethos, religious weenies etc to control the female sexuality as a dangerous force (Bennett, 1983) but recently developed notion of agency is helping women to encounter with social and cultural taboos in order to express their voice in public domain. In my research, the identity politics of Chhetri people, establishment of Chhetri Samaj and women participation and mass mobilization in the identity issue is reflecting different experience of women. Having said that it is complex issue only few literature and my two weeks field observation as well as questionnaires survey is not sufficient to describe impact of organization in social improvement. Nonetheless agency is the key factors in .all social change of Chhetri caste women in Pokhara.

References:

Bennett, L. (1983). Dangerous Wives and Sacred Sister : Social and Symbolic Roles of High Caste Women in Nepal . New York : Columbia University Press.

Bhandari, C. (2010). Identity Politics of Chhetri People; Establishment of Chhetri Samaj and women participation and mass mobilization in identity issue. Kathmandu : Conflict, Peace and Development Studies Program T.U. ( Unpublished document )

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