PART - SIX
Problems Facing Women Workers in Nepal
 

Sex is a biological factor. Physically, woman and man are different by nature. But Gender is a social role assigned to a woman by the society she lives in. The roles are changed, reshaped and challenged as per the level of the development of the society.

Our society is not fully aware of gender and social discrimination issues. The adversities in the whole social scenario are reflected in every sector of the society. Even though women participation is rising in labour sector, women have not yet been able to participate in union activities of the decision-making and leadership level. Nepali society is largely patrimonial by tradition. Nepali cultural norms and values are still not women friendly. Trade union movement has also been influenced by this attitude that is dominant in the society. The traditional responsibility of women has not changed, nor the patrimonial psychology. All these factors create a barrier to foster women's effective participation in the union movement. Problems facing Nepali women can be classified and listed as follows:

1. Problems in the Society

• Existence of the dominant psychology as well as the practice that women are solely responsible for all household works including the care of babies, the aged and disabled.

• Exploitation and oppression of women on grounds of feudal traditions,superstitions, and conservative beliefs.

• Legal discrimination, deprivation of the right to property and the denial of women as the guardian of the family.

• Little access of women to literacy, education and skill/vocational training.

• Prevalence of girl trafficking, rape & sexual harassment and the lack of effective measures to take action against the culprit.

• No guarantee of social protection and security of women.

• Lack of competition among women for leadership.

• Lack of gender sensitivity in policy formulation and programme setting and implementation & monitoring at all levels in government, non-government and other sectors.

• The lack of gender sensitive leadership, policies and programs in political parties as well as organisations of social movement.

2. Problems in the Workplace

• Discrimination against women in employment opportunity, services and benefits.

• Absence of women in management and policy making of employment related issues. Lack of gender-sensitive labour policies

• Inadequate labour laws non-compliant with existing provisions.

• Inadequate law on maternity protection and child-care.

• Sexual harassment, abuse & ill-treatment of women and the lack of legal provisions to deal with such issues

• Unequal wage practices for the same work.

• Family obstruction on women to find employment of their interest.

• Lack of awareness about occupational safety and health as well as reproductive health.

• Compulsion to work in the night shift.

• Unsafe working conditions and social and attitudinal bias against women.

3. Problems in the Union Movement

• Lack of gender-sensitive union leadership, union policy and programmes.

• Low priority on women specific issues in collective bargaining agreement.

• Less importance on women development, leadership building, and the continuity of women's participation in the union movement.

• Domination of patriarchal environment in the union.

• Sexual harassment of women even in the union.

• Lack of cooperation, encouragement and support to women in union works; no major responsibility for women.

• No change in the mindset for the institutionalisation of the "representation" of women in the union life; dominant focus on "participation" alone

• Lack of gender-sensitivity in fixing union activities, time, venue and nitty-gritty matters.

The problems are not only related to women, they are the problems of the society as a whole. This calls for the entire social movement to be serious to resolve the problems. The labour movement, which is the vanguard of social change, should pay special attention to this aspect.

Women issues should be one of the major issues for collective bargaining in the trade union movement. Although some of the issues have been taken up, they are not a priority. Women-related demands that have been raised so far include maternity leave, trained mid-wives, proper arrangement for child-care, separate toilets for men and women, equal wages for the same work and paid-leave on March 8.

These demands are surely genuine and relevant, but not sufficient. In the days ahead, the union movement should focus on gender sensitive labour policies, laws and planning; women friendly and healthy workplaces, proper maternity protection, family responsibility benefits, equal employment opportunities, legal actions against all kinds of harassment and awareness raising activities in their demands.