Human rights in Nepal

[1] A clash between the Nepalese government forces and the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN- Maoist) occurred between 1996 and 2006, resulting in an increase in human rights abuses throughout the country.

The conflict is also considered one of the major reasons for a lack of development in Nepal, a reduction in human rights in the realms of poverty, health, education, and gender equality.

[2] Researchers say that ethnic, caste, gender, and rural vs. urban disparities in Nepal fueled the conflict.

[3] In 2006, both sides signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to end the violence and form a cooperative government.

[3][6] Human capabilities in the realms of health, education, gender equality, torture, child rights and more have been obstructed.

[2][3][5][6] The government forces and the Maoists have both been accused of torturing political prisoners and those they suspect oppose their views during the 1996–2006 conflict, including children.

[2] According to Stevenson (2001), forms of torture used during the conflict include physical, sexual, and psychological methods.

[3] Both the Maoists and the Nepalese government used torture techniques to extract confessions and to force citizens to act in accordance with their dictates.

[2] The long-lasting effects of torture can include physical issues such as disability, lingering pain, and weakness.

Mental effects have also been documented, such as posttraumatic stress, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, eating difficulties, and dissociative disorders.

Researcher Lok P Sharma Bhattarai has stated that "[l]iving in the rural areas essentially means living in absence, struggling ‘hand to mouth’ and being powerless."

[7] However, Bhattarai (2012) claims that the number of people in poverty is rising, and according to Bhusal (2012), 80% of Nepalis have seen their quality of life go down within the last 15 years.

[7] Health prospects vary greatly depending on where an individual lives in Nepal and to which class he or she belongs.

The same Bhuttarai study shows that only 21% of rural Nepalis live within three hours of a public hospital; the rest must travel even greater distances to reach a doctor.

[3] Elderly citizens also tend to live in rural areas disproportionately, which obstructs their ability to receive healthcare.

Finally, Bhuttarai reports that people living in rural areas tend to spend more money on health care than do city dwellers.

Researchers have measured a rise in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder, which they think may have been caused by the violence of the 1996–2006 conflict.

[3] Though the demand for mental health treatment is high, there are only 0.22 psychiatrists, 0.06 psychologists, and 1.5 inpatient beds for every 100,000 people in Nepal, according to Luitel (2015).

Simkhada (2015) advocates for creating a public health protection organization in Nepal, in light of the recent global spread of disease.

According to Simkhada, "This service is much needed in order to co-ordinate, strengthen, and support activities aimed at protecting the whole population of Nepal from infectious diseases, natural disasters and environmental hazards."

[5][6] Many schools were forced to close or faced reduced attendance because of attacks or threat of.Schools that remained open often held class for fewer hours, and student's time in the classroom overall decreased greatly during the war.

The State Department claims that continued custom of dowry giving (which is illegal) increases violence against women as well.

[7] Nepali women have a lower life expectancy than men, and medical care is preferentially given to boys over girls.

[14] The Nepalese government, following the monarchy that ended in 2007, legalized cross-dressing and a third gender option in 2007 along with the introduction of several new law sets.

In the 2011 Nepal census, conducted in May 2011, the Central Bureau of Statistics officially recognized a third gender in addition to male and female.

[20] According to the 2016 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 234,600 people are enslaved in modern-day Nepal, or 0.82% of the population.

[22] On 1 June 2020, HRW urged Nepali authorities to investigate the crimes committed against Dalits after a number of caste-based incidents emerged over the past week.