by Shishir Vaidya | Jul 10, 2023 | Data Stories
We recently celebrated International Women’s Day with the official theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” on 8th of March 2023. For 113 year’s March 8 is being celebrated as International Women’s Day. Quality participation, assured representation, empowerment, leadership development, equality are terminologies used generally in favor of women. In the current age of information and technology,
equal participation of women in all social sector is important. Gender equality will be a nightmare without this.
What is the real situation of women in Nepal?
Women in Nepal are still under privileged. Information and data below will elaborate the real situation of women in Nepal. According to department of National Personnel Records (Civil), out of total number of civil servants i.e., 88,657, only 26.58 percent are women (up to Ashad 31 2077/78). Ten years back it was only 13.84 percent. Data shows that number of women in civil service is growing continuously.
Nepal Police website reveals that women’s participation in Nepal Police is very low. Out of total Police personnel recruited only 10.97 percent are women. According to Nepal Medical Council data, (till 31 December 2022) out of total Doctors registered in MBBS and BDS, only 37.48 percent are Women. Similarly, only 29.46 percent specialized doctors are women. According to National Economic Census 2018, Analytical Report on Women in Business; women’s participation in decision making level in the private sector is just 29.61 percent. While women’s participation in the cooperative sector is high (51%). As per Nepal Rastra Bank data, women’s participation in Banking and financial sector is higher than other sectors. Out of total personnel’s working in banking and financial sector 39.78 percent are recorded as women. ‘Female Journalist in Nepal’, A study conducted by Sancharika Samuha reveals that only 25 percent journalist around the country are women. Out of this 47.8 percent work in FM Radio and only 11 percent are in editorial leadership.
Nepal is known as agriculture-based country; however, the contribution of the agricultural sector to economy is declining. The contribution of agriculture, industry and service sector to the total value addition of FY 2020/21 was 23.9 percent, 14.3 percent and 61.8 percent respectively. In the current FY 2021/22, the total value addition in agriculture, industry and services sector are estimated to increase by 2.3 percent, 8.1 percent and 6.6 percent respectively. Until 2001 AD economically active women involved in agriculture sector were 76 percent (Census 2001).But 2011 census revealed growth in this number to 77 percent. In 2017 percentage of economically active women engaged in agriculture reached 84 percent. Yearly increase in percentage of women in agriculture is due to increasing number in foreign employment of male members. Which is a big threat to Nepal’s economy. However, census results show that number of women in foreign employment is growing rapidly.
Looking in to the Government budget of Nepal, the government have been adopting gender responsive budgeting system. (Economic Survey 2021/22) The share of direct gender responsive budget in the total budget has surged from 11.34 percent in FY 2007/08 to 39.49 percent in FY 2021/22.
According to Census 2021 51.04 percent of Nepal’s population are Female and gender ratio 95.59. Gender ratio resembles number of males out of hundred females. Central Bureau of Statistics initiated Gender ratio calculation only from 5th census. Similarly, questionnaire regarding gender participation in various social and economic activities was developed only from census 2058. Such questionnaire included women’s right to property, gender participation in agriculture and other economic activities, social inclusion etc. As per census 2021 overall, 23.8 percent of the total households have ownership of land or a housing unit or both (land & housing unit) in the name of female household member. The percentage of the households with female ownership of both land and housing unit is only 11.8 percent, which is an increase of 1.1 percent point compared to that in 2011. Similarly, overall, 31.55 percent of the total households (6,666,937) are headed by female, which is an increase of 5.82 percent points since 2011.
The census 2021 shows that median age at first marriage is 21 years for male and 18 years for female. 34.4percent (Male:32.6%andFemale:35.9%) of the ever- married population aged 10 years and above had their first marriage between the ages of 18 and 20. Similarly, 22.3 percent (Male: 12.3 %; Female: 30.4 %) of them got married for the first me in the ages between 15 to 17 years. Further, 7 percent (Male: 3.0 % and Female: 10.2 %) of them got married for the first time at the ages of 10-14 years.
The literacy rate of the country’s total population aged 5years and above is 76.2 percent in 2021 census. Male literacy rate is 83.6 percent while female literacy rate is 69.4 percent. In the 2011 census, overall literacy rate was 65.9 percent; while male literacy rate was 75.1 percent compared to female literacy rate of 57.4 percent.
The National Population Census 2021 shows that out of the total 12,976 female deaths from fertility age group (15-49 years) in the last 12 months preceding the day of enumeration, 653 (5 percent) deaths were related to pregnancy. Out of the pregnancy related deaths, 622 (95 percent) deaths were found to be maternal mortality by Verbal Autopsy conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population.
Constitution of Nepal provides a clear and comprehensive framework to end all forms of discrimination and inequality. Article 84 has provisioned at least one third of members of federal parliament to be women. Similarly, Article 176 has provisioned at least one third of members of the State Assembly to be women. Article 70 provisions President and Vice President to be from different sex or community. Article 91 provisions at least one woman among the Speaker and the Deputy speaker to House of Representatives should be women. Article 91 provisions at least one woman out of Chair and Vice chair of National Assembly. Article 182 provisions One woman out of State Speaker and Deputy State Speaker. Article 215 provisions at least four members of Village Executive Committee to be women. Article 216 provisions at least five members of the Municipal Executive to be Women. To Ensure Gender Equality and Women and Girls Empowerment Constitution of Nepal has formed a constitutional body; National Women Commission, through Article 252. National Women Commission works for establishing rights and interests of women. It monitors the implementation of laws and international treaties related to empowerment of girls and women.
We just participated in the local level elections on 2079/1/30 BS. There were 55698 women nominees in the elections held. Out of the total nominees 14465 women were elected as people’s representatives. Out of the total elected women three local governments had women as chairperson and vice chairperson. 25 including, 13 municipalities and 12 sub municipalities had women as Mayor. Similarly, 232 Deputy Mayors, 334 vice chair of different local bodies elected women as their representative. 69 women were elected as ward chair. Provincial classification of women’s representation shows that 2478 in Koshi Province, 2770 in Madhesh province, 2356 in Bagmati province, 1623 in Gandaki Province, 2131 in Lumbini Province, 1527 in Karnali Province and 1560 women were elected as people’s representative in Far western Province. Women’s representation has increased to 41.23 percent in the recent election of 2079. It was 40.96 percent in 2074 election. Similarly, results of election held on 2079/8/4 shows that federal parliament has 33.83 percent women and Provincial parliament has 36.36 percent women as people’s representative.
If we look in to history of Nepal’s election, i.e., 12 elections held since 2004 to 2079 BS, we can find significant growth in women’s representation. Before declaration of democracy Nepalese women were restricted to vote. After the establishment of democracy on 7th of Falgun 2007 BS, the first local election was held in Kathmandu on 17th of Bhadra 2010 BS. This election was first of its kind to give voting rights to women. Sadhana Devi Pradhan was the first elected people’s representative from ward no. 4 Kathmandu. Local level elections are political means to empower and enhance women’s participation. This helps to promote women’s participation in decision making process, quantitatively and qualitatively. However, Nepal’s constitution and related acts and regulations outline various rights in favor of women, it is still not fully in the position of implementation. Resulting very less representation of women in various sector. Thus, a continuous pressure and awareness campaign is must from women’s right activists.
by Shishir Vaidya | Dec 29, 2022 | News & Events
Remittance through labor migration contributes 20 percent of National GDP in average. But at what cost ? Data shows at the cost of more than thousand lives a year. Labor Migration data table below shows a hard to believe truth. Every year millions of youth migrate in search of labor and good living.
‘Labour migration has become one of the defining characteristics of Nepal’s socio-economic landscape. The size and fluctuation in migratory outflows are a result of a combination of economic and non-economic factors.13 Commonly cited push factors include insufficient access of the working-age population to productive economic opportunities and cultural factors like the societal pressure to migrate. Pull factors, on the other hand, include jobs with wage differentials and better amenities, social networks and opportunities for upward social and career mobility. Furthermore, as posited by the New Economics of Labour Migration,14 labour migration is also a household strategy for families to diversify their income sources to mitigate the impact of income volatility from agriculture and other informal sectors. As will be further expanded in this Chapter, labour migration is also shaped by migration-related policy interventions of both the labour sending and destination countries.’ (Nepal Labor Migration Report 2020)
Labor Migration an Outlook
| Fiscal year | Male | Female | Total | Remmitance (in billion NRs.) | Percentage of GDP | Deaths | Disability/Injury |
| 065/066 | 211371 | 8594 | 219965 | 209.7 | 21.2 | 78 | 8 |
| 066/067 | 284038 | 10056 | 294094 | 231.7 | 19.4 | 421 | 10 |
| 067/068 | 344300 | 10416 | 354716 | 253.6 | 18.5 | 564 | 31 |
| 068/069 | 361707 | 22958 | 384665 | 359.6 | 20.5 | 647 | 57 |
| 069/070 | 423122 | 27767 | 450889 | 434.6 | 22.3 | 772 | 90 |
| 070/071 | 498848 | 28966 | 527814 | 543 | 24.3 | 877 | 116 |
| 071/072 | 477690 | 21412 | 499102 | 617 | 25.5 | 1006 | 184 |
| 072/073 | 384797 | 18377 | 403174 | 665 | 25.5 | 826 | 117 |
| 073/074 | 363304 | 20189 | 383493 | 695 | 22.6 | 758 | 204 |
| 074/075 | 331665 | 22417 | 354082 | 755 | 21.9 | 826 | 361 |
| 075/076 | 215630 | 20578 | 236208 | 879.3 | 22.8 | 763 | 354 |
| 076/077 | 172247 | 18206 | 190453 | 875 | 22.4 | 672 | 205 |
| 077/078 | 64903 | 7178 | 72081 | 961.1 | 22.5 | 1243 | 143 |
| 078/079 | 580969 | 49128 | 630097 | 986 | - | 1479 | 245 |
| Total | 4714591 | 286242 | 5000833 | 8465.6 | | 10932 | 2125 |
Data Source: Foreign Employment Board Secreteriat
by Shishir Vaidya | Sep 8, 2020 | News & Events
Himalayan glaciers are vulnerable to the warming climate and have been melting and retreating at unprecedented rates since the mid-20th century, impacting flow regimes in major river basins. These changes lead to the formation of new glacial lakes as well as the expansion of existing glacial lakes, increasing the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
Recorded information on GLOF events shows an increment in the frequency and magnitude of these disasters in recent decades. If current warming trends and unchecked developmental activities continue, the occurrence of GLOFs and other glacial hazards could escalate, adversely impacting water availability.
ICIMOD and UNDP Nepal have prepared a comprehensive inventory of glacial lakes and identified the potentially dangerous glacial lakes in major river basins of Nepal, including the upper reach of these basins from the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China.
According to the report historically, GLOFs have had catastrophic consequences in Nepal – directly and through cascading impacts (landslides, erosion, and sedimentation) – leading to the loss of lives and livestock and damaging infrastructure and transportation routes. Twenty-six GLOF events have been recorded in Nepal since 1977 and 11 of these have had transboundary impacts.
The study found 3624 glacial lakes located in the three basins, of which 2070 lakes are in Nepal, 1509 lakes in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China and 45 lakes in India. As many as 1410 lakes are larger than or equal to 0.02 km2 which are considered large enough to cause a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).
Study identified Forty-seven glacial lakes as potentially dangerous glacial lakes (PDGLs) based on the following criteria: (i) characteristics of the lakes and their dams; (ii) the activity of the source glacier; and (iii) morphology of the surroundings.
According to ICIMOD the number of glacial lakes in the Koshi basin has increased from 1,160 in 1977 to 2,168 in 2010; their total area has increased from 94.4 km2 to 127.6 km2 over this period. The number of lakes has increased by 86.9% and the total lake area by 35.1%. The number of glacial lakes in the Koshi basin decreased from 2,119 in 2000 to 2,087 in 2005 and to 2,064 in 2015. The number of glacial lakes has increased in the Gandaki basin, from 377 in 2000 to 405 in 2005, and 432 in 2015. The increase in the number of glacial lakes is indicative of the rapid melting of glaciers and formation of new lakes, particularly those dammed by glacier ice and moraines. The glacial lakes in the Karnali basin increased from 1,105 in 2000 to 1,204 in 2005 but decreased to 1,128 in 2015.
Out of 3,624 lakes mapped, 1,410 lakes are equal to or larger than 0.02 km2. This is considered large enough to cause damage downstream were the lake to rupture. This potential is heightened if the lakes are associated with a large and retreating glacier. Of the 1,410 lakes, 1,358 lakes were removed, based on the damming condition, the activity of the source glaciers, and their surroundings. The remaining 52 lakes were analysed further to identify potentially dangerous glacial lakes. Eventually, 47 glacial lakes were identified as potentially dangerous. These include 42 lakes in the Koshi, 3 in the Gandaki, and 2 in the Karnali basins. With respect to political boundaries, 25 PDGLs are in the territory of the TAR, China, 21 are located in Nepal, and one PDGL is in India.
According to the report the danger levels of the PDGLs are categorized into three ranks, with Rank I being the highest:
Rank I – Large lake and possibility of expansion due to the calving of glaciers; lake close to the loose moraine end; no overflow through the moraine; steep outlet slope; hanging source glacier; chances of snow and/or ice avalanches and landslides in the surroundings impacting the lake and dam.
Rank II – Confined lake outlet; lake outlet close to compact and old end-moraine; hanging lake; distinct seepage at the bottom of end-moraine dam; gentle outward slope of moraine.
Rank III – Confined Lake Outlet; gentle outward slope of the dam; large lake but shallow depth; moraine more than 200 m wide; old and compact moraine.
Based on this, of the 47 lakes reviewed, 31 lakes were classified as belonging to Rank I, 12 lakes as Rank II, and four lakes as Rank III.
In the past the GLOF resulted in an estimated economic loss of US$ 1.5 million, destroyed infrastructure including the Namche hydropower plant, and caused a few casualties. Before that, in 1977, a GLOF was recorded in Dudh Koshi, causing 2‒3 casualties. GLOFs can also have transboundary effects. The Zhangzangbo–cho (Ciremacho Lake) in the TAR, China, was breached in July 1981 and destroyed the Friendship Bridge on the China‒Nepal highway, and the intake dam of the Sun Koshi hydropower station, causing serious economic losses in Nepal. Damages were estimated US$ 3 million at the time.
GLOF events that have caused damage in Nepal
| S.No. | Date | River basin | Location |
| 1 | 1980-06-23 | Tamor | Nagma Pokhari |
| 2 | 1981-07-11 | Bhote Koshi | Cirenmacho Lake Zhangzangbo Valley |
| 3 | 1985-08-04 | Dudh Koshi | Dig Tsho |
| 4 | 1991-07-12 | Tama Koshi | Chubung |
| 5 | 1998-09-03 | Dudh Koshi | Sabai Tsho (Tam Pokhari) |
| 6 | 2003-08-15 | Madi | Kabache Lake |
| 7 | 2004-08-08 | Madi | Kabache Lake |
| 8 | 2016-07-05 | Bhote Koshi | TAR, China |
| 9 | 2017-04-20 | Barun Valley | Near Lower Barun |
by Shishir Vaidya | Sep 4, 2020 | News & Events
Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) celebrates 35 years of its service of power production, transmission and distribution. NEA claims the year 2019/20 as one more successful year in supplying continuous power to its consumers and maintaining sound financial health. After tumultuous years of losses NEA is now a profit making organization since 2016/17. Its system loss has come down to 15.27% from 25.78% in 2016. According to annual report of NEA for the year 2019/20 total population with access to electricity infrastructure has reached 86% of the total household. Total number of electricity consumers increased by 7.8% from 3.91 million to 4.22 million during 2019/20. These data does not include consumers under community rural electrification, which is serving about 0.57 million consumers in rural areas. Among the entire electricity consumers domestic consumers share the largest category with 93.24% share. Industrial consumer has a share of just 1.33% but has the highest share of 45.31% in revenue generation and 35.83% as sales share. Domestic consumer has 35.27% and 44.34% share in revenue and sales.
Two new power plants, namely Upper Trishuli 3A (60 MW) and Kulekhani III (14 MW) is added to the system contributing an increase in electricity generation. NEA’s hydropower plants including small power stations generated a total of 3021 GWh of electricity in FY 2019/20. It is an increase by 18.57% over the generation of 2548 GWh in FY 2018/19. There was a decrease of 38.55% energy import from India, 1729 GWh in 2019/20 and 2813.07 GWh in 2018/19. The contribution of energy imported from India contributed 22.33% out of total available energy. Total installed capacity of NEA is 1332 MW, including 14 major hydropower stations (563.15 MW), 17 small hydro power plants (14.244 MW), 23 small hydro power plants (isolated) (4.536 MW), 2 thermal power plants (53.41 MW) and 3 solar power plants (1350 kW).
According to reports from various directorates of NEA, Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown hampered in its regular growth. The effect of the lockdown has caused lesser revenue from the industrial sector.
Since 2016/17 there was continuous decrease in load shedding. Before this we were forced to live in darkness with hours of load shedding. During the last four years Nepal has seen brighter times, helping countries economy to go forward. At the same time, it has also helped a great deal in saving valuable foreign currency reserve of the country which has been used to import batteries, inverters, solar panels and additional fossil fuels for generators.
As per the report, fulfilling the energy demand was the biggest challenge of NEA in the past. As per current status sale of energy is going to pose a serious challenge for NEA in coming year as 1000 MW of generation is to be commissioned by the year 2021 alone.
