This strong bias in favor of sons in society meant that daughters were discriminated against from birth and did not have equal opportunities to achieve all aspects of development.

[4] In the past century, there has been a dramatic positive change in the role and status of women in Nepal, reducing gender inequality.

While the 1990 Constitution guaranteed fundamental rights to all citizens without discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, caste, religion, or sex, the modernization of society, along with increased education of the general population, have also played an important role in promoting gender equality.

Despite the difficult post-conflict transitional context, today, Nepal is not only rapidly progressing towards economic development, it is also achieving targets for poverty and hunger, universal primary education, child mortality, maternal health and gender equality and women's empowerment.

[6] Today, Nepalese women are defying cultural traditions, and are becoming community leaders, environmentalists politicians and business owners.

[8] Other famous Nepali women include CNN Hero of the Year winners Anuradha Koirala, Pushpa Basnet, first female to climb Mt.

Everest Pasang Lamu Sherpa, international award-winning athletes Mira Rai, Phupu Lhamu Khatri, and the first female chief justice Sushila Karki.

[9] Although roles and status of women in modern Nepalese society has undergone a massive transformation and their rights have been secured by the constitution, enforcement outside the few major cities has been a lax.

In these remote places, gender disparity still exists, women have limited control, are restricted to household work, deprived of education, discriminated based on caste, and have poor healthcare access.

[11] Nepal being a predominantly agricultural society, the senior female member played a commanding role within the family by controlling resources, making crucial planting and harvesting decisions, and determining the expenses and budget allocations.

Yet women's lives remained centered on their traditional roles —taking care of most household chores, fetching water and animal fodder, and doing farm work.

Although the constitution offers women equal educational opportunities, many social, economic, and cultural factors contributed to lower enrollment and higher dropout rates for girls.

[citation needed] In February 2021, In an effort to combat sex trafficking, The Department of Immigration proposed a policy requiring women under 40 to have a letter and permission from family to travel abroad.

[14][15] In Nepal, the historical gender roles, spaces and stereotypes of the ‘public’ male breadwinner (provider) and ‘private’ female care-giver are espoused even under changing situations.

The role played by women in the care sector, predominantly their reproductive work, bearing, rearing, nurturing children and household maintenance are activities that fall outside the national accounting systems.

In the home, Nepali women are thought to be a source of life, but they are also compelled to slave away for male family members.

[20] In some communities, like the Newar people, the dowry system was meant as a gift that would assist the bride, in case she faced problems in the future.

[21][22] The practice of marrying young girls is often driven by poverty, but its prevalence varies across the country, depending on level of education, wealth, geographic location, religion, and ethnicity.

Remarrying, general pleasure in life, specific foods, family events, looking men in the eye, and even leaving home are off limits to widows.

Instead of being treated as equal members in the human race, Nepalese women are shamed as less than mere slaves to their husbands.

[28] In 2009, a study was conducted to determine the association between selected risk factors and domestic violence of married women in Nepal, aged 15–24.

The study concluded that approximately 51.9% of these women reported having experienced some form of violence in their lifetime, whether it be emotional, physical, or otherwise.

[29] The ProQuest Biological Science Collection also released a study, reporting that 21% of Nepalese men believe they are completely justified in physically abusing their spouse.

[30] Therefore, in order to solve the overwhelming issue of domestic violence in the country of Nepal, one must first address the husband's beliefs and cultural rituals.

Men in Nepal desperately believe that it is morally right, and in some cases their civic duty, to discipline their wives in a physical manner.

The cycle of abuse is perpetuated because the social construct forbids women from speaking out due to the fear of shame or stigma.

The approach of government programs and non-government projects on empowerment has provided some improvement in the scenario compared to the situation a few years back.

[clarification needed] The data and the legal provisions also reflects that women don't have equal access to economic resources which restrict them to make decisions on the property and economy and leaving them behind in society.

[33][34] After a woman died in a Chauppadi hut in 2016, the government passed a law imposing punishment against those forcing women into the tradition, entering into effect in August, 2018.

[37] In 2010, Sarwa Dev Prasad Ojha, minister for women and social welfare, said, "Superstitions are deeply rooted in our society, and the belief in witchcraft is one of the worst forms of this.