By Charles Ostertag, Give2Asia
Fluttering and curling between the winds of China and India, the flag of Nepal flies as the only non-rectangular national flag on earth. The amalgam of two pennants from the previous ruling Rana dynasty, the flag's jutting edges and celestial figures aptly mirror a weather-pleated, atmospheric land rising from the monsoon-prone southern plains to the rearing walls of stone in the north. Since its inception in 1962, however, the Nepalese flag has bared witness to profound social change: the June 2001 tragedy within the royal palace left Nepal without a king or queen; a decade-long civil war resulting in over 14,000 casualties; and last year the newly elected Constituent Assembly voted to end the 240-year-old monarchy. Even though this flag now stands for a recently formed nation (Nepal was officially declared a democratic federal republic in May 2008 and the first president was elected in July 2008), it has not been without cost. Today, Nepal depends heavily on foreign aid, possesses the second-highest unemployment rate in Asia at 42% after Timor-L’Este (from 2004 estimates), and remains one of the poorest, least developed countries in the world.
With one third of Give2Asia grants in Nepal being made in the area of women’s empowerment, we have chosen to highlight three of the many excellent organizations we work with—Empowering Women of Nepal(EWN), Himalayan Healers and The Asia Foundation —all focusing on improving the quality of life, social status and opportunities for women. The missions of EWN, Himalayan Healers and The Asia Foundation are imperative. According to 2001 estimates, only 34.9% of Nepalese women can read and write, while statistics from the Asian Development Bank point to poverty and lack of job opportunities as the driving factors causing women to resort to commercial sex work.
Empowering Women of Nepal
Tourism is of course a major industry for Nepal. However, revenue from tourism often ends up in the pockets of foreign tour-operating companies instead of the impoverished areas where tourists visit. Founded by three Nepalese sisters in 1999, Empowering Women of Nepal works to help drive more tourism dollars to these impoverished areas with the goal of helping to empower women. By inviting and recruiting local, rural women to learn practical skills in the fields of eco-tourism, trekking guidance, ice climbing and lodge management, EWN’s efforts improve the self-confidence and economic position of women in Nepal. All of the programs offered involve hands-on learning, multi-day or week-long field visits, and English language classes.
Lucky Chhetri, one of the founding sisters of EWN, notes that "women do not need sympathy, they need education and opportunity." Since its formation, EWN has benefited nearly 500 women from 33 districts of Nepal. Building on its success and popularity, EWN plans to expand all of its programs and to include ice climbing trainings on Mt. Everest by 2010.
Himalayan Healers
The ever-present caste system in Nepal often exacerbates the disadvantages already faced by women. Women born as members of the untouchable caste are considered impure, and therefore ostracized, resented, shunned, segregated and offered despairingly limited opportunities for advancement. With assistance from Give2Asia grants, Himalayan Healers has pioneered a professional massage therapist training program for the untouchable caste, especially women. The training program is a 450-hour full-time course lasting for 14 weeks—six days a week. In addition to learning holistic healing methods, massage therapy techniques and prevalent health issues, students improve their literacy while learning English. Himalayan Healers puts equal emphasis on job placement and many international hotel chains are looking to students of Himalayan Healers for recruitment due to the program's recognition and renown. Himalayan Healers is currently establishing a Healing Arts School and Eco-resort—the first of its kind in Nepal—focusing on improving the capacity to train women of the untouchable caste and other marginalized groups, promoting cultural exchange and demonstrating renewable, green technology such as solar power, bio-gas and water catchment systems. Once the Healing Arts School and Eco-Resort is complete, Himalayan Healers plans to implement volunteer community service projects within the resident village and have 10% of each month's profits invested in local volunteer projects.
The Asia Foundation
In an effort to reverse gender discrimination, slough off the caste system, and inspire other young Nepalese women to become entrepreneurs, The Asia Foundation has established three women-run electrical and motorcycle repair shops in the Kathmandu Valley—something never seen before in Nepal. After graduating from The Asia Foundation’s Gainful Employment program, five young, underprivileged women aged 19 to 23 learned how to become bread-winners for their families by becoming self-employed and economically independent for the first time.
During the initial stage, the motorcycle repair shops were provided rent-free, stocked with tools and supplies, and staffed with a senior advisory technician. In line with their trade, the young women regularly attend the local Auto Mechanics Trade Union meetings and found themselves the only females among the 100 or so in attendance. When asked their opinion on this gender gap, the women respond that they feel proud. As a positive sign of things to come, many male attendees encourage and congratulate these unique pioneers for being some of the first women motorcycle mechanics of Nepal; although they did face some initial discrimination as the first women-run shops. To help bolster their presence and the success of the shop, The Asia Foundation provided skills refreshment training to the young women, trained them in basic bookkeeping and accounting to manage the shop’s revenues, and introduced them to wholesale dealers to further source affordable equipment beyond the project time frame. As of July 2008, the workshops were all officially registered and began functioning.
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The Nepalese flag is on the verge of witnessing nearly 50 years of history. However, within Nepal's borders, eight of the world's 10 tallest peaks act as dials to a different timescale—where weather, centuries, erosion and the trickle of snow incessantly pass by, seemingly indifferent to human concerns. With Nepal benefiting from the work of EWN, Himalayan Healers and The Asia Foundation, we can hope that Nepal's flag and ancient peaks will all soon witness a country of prosperity and equality.
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