Challenges of Madheshi Women’s Feminists in Nepal

Abstract

Nepalese society is patriarchal, and the concept of an egalitarian society is not well understood by its people. The Madheshi feminists have been fighting against oppression, discrimination, and inequality between the sexes. This article looks at what challenges, Madheshi women feminists’ have encountered to achieve gender equality in society. The methodology used for this article is a face-to-face in-depth interview and Key informant interview. The writer argues that the number of Madheshi women feminists has been gradually increasing. However, there are still several challenges to feminism. One of the major challenges is identified as the mainstream feminist movement’s tendency to homogenize women’s experiences that cannot address the diverse experiences of women from different castes, classes, sexual orientations, religions, and regions. The issues of marginalized women, including Madheshi are often not acknowledged by the mainstream feminist movements. The paper concludes that feminism is important for Nepalese and integrating all different voices is one of the challenges. The author suggests that the intersectionality perspectives of the mainstream feminist movement in Nepal could solve the barriers of Madheshi women. The research helps to understand the dilemmas experienced by Madheshi feminists. The study’s findings contribute to the existing literature on Madheshi women, providing valuable insights for policymakers to advocate for equal opportunities for marginalized women including Madheshi. The affirmative policy will increase their participation in politics as well as executive positions. It also helps to build a more inclusive and representative feminism in Nepal.

Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 11, Issue-3: 58-65.