It’s being challenged in practice to establish a gender-based violence-free society in Nepal. Numerous sociocultural factors contribute to this challenge. Adhikari. R & Sharma. J (2022) shares that women are stereotypically represented as vulnerable, uneducated, or less educated Third World women. We can understand from this that one of the key notable factors is Nepal’s sociocultural systems, which are dominated by patriarchal structure and rooted caste-based hierarchy.
United Nations Nepal (2020) states that in Nepal, the women are by social norms and system to remain as a helper and a housewife of a husband. Harmful traditional practices such as Chhaupadi[1], child marriage, dowry, caste-based discrimination, witchcraft accusation and persecution are the key root causes of those who promoted highly the domestic violence and gender equality where the girls and women are highly exploited. One of the great revolutions is that no more Sati Pratha[2] is current, but different forms of discrimination, exploitation, and violence are still existing in the society that has still existed with huge power disparity between men and women.
The International Organization for Migration highlights that Nepal Government (2024) shares only 22.9% of working-age women are in some form of employment compared to 48% of men employed. in Nepal have remained to have mostly prime household decisions and have more information about policy and legal practices concerning land registration and inheritance. Some facts we can see here show a huge disparity in gender roles in Nepal. UN Women Report (2021) shares that only 13% of women are in managerial positions. Nepal Government (2024) shares only 22.9% of working-age women are in some form of employment compared to 48% of men employed. One-third of girls are still married before age 18, undermining their health and education prospects. The highest rate of polygynous marriage is observed in Bagmati Province (3.7%) and the lowest in Madhesh Province (1.7%). In Karnali province, 24% of women stay in Chhaupadi during menstruation, and 21% in Sudurpashchim province. More than 21,000 in 2022, Domestic Violence[3] accounts for 80% of reported cases. Suicide is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age, with almost 3,000 cases recorded in 2021. In 2020/21, police recorded 4222 suicides by men and 2919 suicides by women. This sounds like the men are highly affected by the toxic masculinity attitude that has brought them into a high level of depression and suicide. But in inclusion there is some progress also; as an example, a total of 34% of women are represented in both federal parliament and 37% in the national assembly; however, the contribution in making influences in developing the policies is not notably improved.
Nepal had signed and ratified “The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), an international treaty is adopted by the United Nations” in 1979” and ratified by Nepal in 1991; however, even in 23 years, no expected changes have been seen in the country.
We can observe the gender perspective primarily through two angles: one being the secular viewpoint of human rights and the other being the religious or sociocultural viewpoint. The sociocultural aspect has been seen to have a greater influence on the social and political structures of society, despite the advancements made by the global human rights movement in the twenty-first century. According to Mission Network News (2023), there is rapid Christian growth in Nepal, which is referenced by the new national census of the country. The Christian population rose by nearly 40% in less than a decade. Open Doors media (2021) adds here that one of the main catalysts for such growth in numbers has been the widespread offer of prayer for sick people and the resulting healings. Pete Pattition (2017) from The Record media states that caste discrimination is one of the major reasons. A total of 65% of Christians are from Dalit communities. So along with the social discriminative system, we can figure out that gender discrimination is also the additional reason in some way.
[1] Chhaupadi is a tradition of untouchability which require to live away from the home, typically in a Chapro/Cowshed, during menstruation which is constrained by cultural taboos and discriminatory social norms
[2] The act or custom of a Hindu widow burning herself to death or being burned to death on the funeral pyre of her husband
[3] Domestic violence is defined as any form of physical harm perpetrated by a person to a person with whom he or she has a family relationship.
While progress has been made in many areas, gender discrimination remains an issue in Nepal’s Christian community as well. Cultural patriarchy and theological conservatism are significant barriers. Kaur., S. (2023) shares the Christian women of Nepal; however, they are not waiting for permission to evangelize. Mega, Bible Institution and Seminary (2023) pointed out that some theological interpretations still restrict women from holding certain leadership positions, limiting their influence and impact. Hence the context shows a significant need to have clarity in true gender equality among Christian communities and to empower them in gender equality and ending gender-based violence.
So, looking at the context, general questions raised here are, such as: why is there more discrimination towards women in Nepali society, also on Christian communities? Why do women feel treated as second lead or subordinate in religious practice? Why are the religious institutions still blamed for regression and holding of male-dominating practices or taboos? Why are human rights acts and policies not implemented effectively as provisioned by the state? Why do these inequalities exist in Christian communities as well as in Nepali society? These are the key questions striking in the people’s mind in Nepali society.
I am not a theologian or expert on this, but as a Nepalese citizen and a follower of Jesus Christ, I think reflection on these questions in relation to the current Nepalese Christian context is a need at present. So, a short reflection from my own experience and from some of the secondary facts and evidence are discussed here.
It’s true that all the religious practices and social systems are to run the society and to balance the rights. But the disparity increased due to the wrongful exercising of power possessed by social norms and social structures. Social values and norms are highly powerful, as they are rooted strongly in a long century of social values that have strongly shaped the mindset of the people. This can’t be easily removed by one or two shorts with general orientation and training about human rights law and acts for the people. Hence, challenging the stereotyped mindset of the people is a very important aspect of starting to distribute social power as equal to all. In Christian communities, a true sensitization with correct meaning of biblical education and practices among the people is a crucial part. The truth is God never wants disparity. Genesis 1:27 says God created humans in his image, and we can experience that God is in all ways the source of good things and positive change. So, it’s an overarching principle of God that there is no inequality or any forms of violence in the kingdom of God; instead, God wants love and unity in us.
Deuteronomy 10:17 says, “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe.” Similarly, Romans 2:11 states, “For there is no favoritism with God.”
These verses state the truth that every human being is equal and unique in God’s kingdom in the same line; understanding the true sense of religious scriptures and practicing them with correct interpretation is a need to bring a violence-free society and to lead the society for the transformation of the secular world into the spiritual kingdom of God. Here are some of the most commonly read and practiced Bible verses that, to some extent, created controversies and were misleading in relation to gender equality. Due to a lack of true meaning in understanding and interpretation of these verses, to some extent, people are practicing violent-promoting actions knowingly and unknowingly in their lives.
In Genesis 2:18, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Here God created another person like the man: another human with the purpose of being the helper to each other and giving company to each other. God wants unity here, and to make equality, God created another human. Helper does not mean here only a woman be a helper and a man be a possessor, which is wrongly practiced and became a system and norm in some Christian communities, unfortunately. Two is stronger and powerful than one, the purpose of creating two is to make a power and to give joy, interaction and worship to God together. The problem is here: wrong interpretation and exercising power wrongly for the sake of individual benefit, which is mostly the men remaining in power and women with less power, which, for a long run, became a system and practiced those only men are the head of the family and even head or pastor in the churches. This is visibly seen in some denominations. However, there is a need to have a further discourse among the theologians and to share the true and common framework or theological understanding on this to promote gender equality in the true sense in Christian communities.
Apostle Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 11:3, “The head of the woman is the man, and in 1 Corinthians 14:34, “Let your women keep silent in the assemblies, for it is not permitted for them to speak”. Why Paul said here women to keep silent, not permitted for them to speak and man to be head of woman here and he said similar to book of Timothy chapter two. Does this mean, women are not capable to be head of the family? no permission to women to speak in the assemblies? Is it the God wanted in his kingdom of equality what we discussed above? Definitely, not in my opinion. To understand this, we need to know the context of the verses why Paul said this to the people of Corinthians. First thing is, Paul said this specifically to the people of Corinthians.
Craig S. Keener argues that Paul’s instructions reflect cultural norms in the ancient Greco-Roman world where he wants women to follow cultural norms and be empowered first. According to Keener, Paul does not want the women to teach in some sense, it is not because they are women, but because they are unlearned’ which may cause misinterpretation of the Gods word, and Paul in Eph. 5:21. Paul calls for the mutual submission of husband and wife, mutual submission is important here, not women only to subordinate men but men to women also. Unfortunately, the teaching highlighted in some extend more in second sentences of this verse, Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord”, Paul already said before this that Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Another most important focus is that Jesus himself is a role model for gender equality. In the Jesus time, the social power was to men; women were treated as second class. In the priest’s role and in most social and even in political structure, men were leading. Jesus radically included women in ministry in the Jesus period (Tom de Bruin, 2022) and broke the gender barriers with revolutionary actions, teachings, and attitudes toward women in a cultural context that often marginalized them. As examples, Jesus openly spoke with a Samaritan woman, even though there were strong cultural taboos against Jews interacting with Samaritans or men speaking with women in public (John 4:1-42).
Dr. C. S. Cowles (2022) states, In the case of the woman taken in adultery (John 8:1–11), Jesus set himself against not only the male chauvinists of his day but the law of Moses itself. The law called for the stoning of both the man and the woman who were caught in an adulterous act (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22f.). That only the woman was apprehended indicates the double standard operative in Jesus’ day. By saving the woman’s life, Jesus laid down the radically new principle that women were more important than even the Mosaic law! Jesus treated women as spiritual equals, involving them in his ministry and teaching: Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42): Jesus commends Mary for sitting at his feet and learning from him, a role typically reserved for male disciples. McLaughlin R (2022) highlights that Luke makes it clear that this larger group of disciples included many women, and Mary, called Magdalene, Joanna, the wife of Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means, were the disciples of Jesus (Luke 8:1-3).
Jesus appeared first to women after his resurrection and instructed them to tell the disciples, making them the first witnesses (Matthew 28:1–10). About the divorce, Jesus denounces the casual dismissal of wives through divorce, affirming the dignity of women in marriage (Matthew 19:3–9). For the equal value of all people from Paul’s reflection with Jesus’ principles, we see the equal value of men and women. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
Through Jesus’s actions, relationships, and teachings, it is evident that he exemplified a profound inclusivity that enhanced women’s status within both spiritual and societal realms. He embodied equality by transferring equal value, dignity, opportunities, resources, and care to women, inspiring us to strive for genuine gender equality.
In conclusion, Nepal has still huge gender disparity where men are still in power and privileged. Harmful Traditional Practices, stereotyped mindsets, power hierarchy and toxic masculinity are the root cases for this, and this has remained in Christian community as well in some extend. Hence clarity of bible in gender equality among the Christian communities and true interpretation and practice as Jesus model is one strategy where engaging men in gender equality process and promoting efficient actions for transforming masculinity is also another appropriate strategy in Nepalese context for this. However, achieving this requires meaningful dialogue within Christian communities to establish a biblical theological framework for gender equality and practices, along with a clear comprehension of ongoing controversies, such as the absence of women among the 12 disciples despite some being present, and the logical interpretation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) issues from a biblical standpoint.
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Reference
- R & Sharma. J. (2022). Gendered consequences of social changes in Nepal: rich possibilities. European bulletin of Himalayan Resource. https://doi.org/10.4000/ebhr.549
- Craig S. Keener. Paul, Women and Wives: Marriage and Women’s Ministry in the Letters of Paul. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/review/paul-women-and-wives-marriage-and-womens-ministry-in-the-letters-of-paul/
- Dahal, P., Joshi, S.K. & Swahnberg, K. A qualitative study on gender inequality and gender-based violence in Nepal. BMC Public Health 22, 2005 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14389-x
- C. S. Cowles (2022). An Analysis of Paul’s Position on Women in Ministry. Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy. https://www.whwomenclergy.org/an-analysis-of-paul-s-position-on-women-in-ministry
- K. (2023). Christian population rises nearly 40 percent in Nepal. Mission Network News. https://www.mnnonline.org/news/christian-population-rises-nearly-40-percent-in-nepal/
- , S. (2023). With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal. Christianity Today. https://www.christianitytoday.com/2023/02/nepal-evangelist-women-gospel-gossip/
- R. (2022). Did Jesus Have Female Disciples? Bible & Theology. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/female-disciples/
- Mega, Bible Institution and Seminary (2023). https://omega.edu/empowering-women-in-christian-ministry-breaking-barriers-and-shaping-the-church/
- Nepal Government (2024). Gender equality in Nepal facts and figure. Ministry of women, children and senior citizen. https://mowcsc.gov.np/downloadfiles/Gender-Equality-Report-1715242038.pdf
- Open Doors media (2021). https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/research-reports/articles/stories/nepal-one-of-the-fastest-growing-christian-populations-in-the-world/
- Pete Pattission (2017). Why many Nepalis are converting to Christianity. The Record Media. https://www.recordnepal.com/why-many-nepalis-are-converting-to-christianity
- Tom de Bruin (2022). Gender and Jesus. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/gender-and-jesus/
- United Nations Nepal (2020). Harmful Practices in Nepal Report on Community Perceptions. UN Nepal. https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Harmful%20Practices%20Perception%20Survey.pdf
- UN Women (2021). Gender quality in numbers: Progress and Challenges in achieving gender quality in Nepal. https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2021/10/gender-equality-in-numbers
