Study Reveals Economic Dependence of Women in Biratnagar

Biratnagar. A study has shown that most women in Biratnagar, the capital and industrial city of Koshi Province, are still economically dependent and confined to household chores.

The survey, conducted at the initiative of Biratnagar Metropolitan City with technical support from the International Development Institute, has released serious and worrying statistics about the condition of women in the city.

This study, conducted on 41,488 households and 149,816 individuals in all 19 wards of Biratnagar, presents a picture of women's education, health, employment, and social status.

According to the statistics, 78 percent of women in Biratnagar have no personal income of their own. For men, this rate is only 27 percent. Among women aged 18 to 65, only 28.5 percent are economically active.

The study indicated that even 63.9 percent of women who have completed their bachelor's degrees are not engaged in any economic activity.

The study clearly shows a deep-rooted gender division of labor in society. In 78.3 percent of households in the metropolis, cooking, cleaning, etc., are done solely by women, while in 72.6 percent of households, external work is handled solely by men.

A significant gap is observed in the status of women based on caste, religion, and geography. The highest number of women with no income is found in the Muslim community at 87.8 percent, followed by the Madhesi community at 80.8 percent, and the Dalit community at 75.4 percent.

Regionally, in Ward No. 1, about 51 percent of women have no income, while in Ward No. 17, a predominantly Muslim ward, this rate is nearly 90 percent.

Although the law completely prohibits child marriage, about 20 percent of women in Biratnagar are married before the age of 18. The rate of child marriage is highest in the Dalit community at 32.5 percent and in the Muslim community at 30.8 percent. The average age of marriage for women is 20 years.

Amidst the disappointing statistics, the metropolis has made good progress in the health sector. Across the city, 92.5 percent of women give birth in health institutions. Similarly, access to clean drinking water and toilets has become almost universal in the city.

The situation is also not satisfactory in terms of security and violence. Only 139 families reported domestic violence in the survey. The researchers noted this as a significantly underestimated figure. 'Many women realize they have been subjected to violence only after long counseling. Due to caste mistrust in the Dalit community and fear of social prestige in the Madhesi community, women do not report incidents of sexual and domestic violence,' the report states.

Amidst the disappointing statistics, the metropolis has made good progress in the health sector. Across the city, 92.5 percent of women give birth in health institutions. Similarly, access to clean drinking water and toilets has become almost universal in the city.

Despite the constitutional provision of 33 percent reservation for women in leadership, it has not been implemented in direct elections. In Biratnagar, less than 5 percent of households have women actively involved in politics. Looking at property rights, only 35.9 percent of households in the metropolis have land ownership certificates in women's names.

During the survey, women also highlighted their primary needs. Among marginalized women, 67 percent prioritize skill-based training. Complaining about having the ability to produce but no place to sell, women have demanded separate markets. They also suggested changing the collateral-based loan system to provide small and quickly approved loans that match the reality of women's cash flow.

This report was prepared under the leadership of Dr. Chandra Timsina and Sujana Kansakar. Biratnagar Deputy Mayor Shilpa Nirala Karki expressed confidence that the report will help the local government create fact-based 'gender-responsive' plans in budget and policy making in the coming days.

The study team has provided some policy suggestions to Biratnagar Metropolitan City. These include resuming closed skill-based training, establishing permanent markets for women's products, expanding the gender-based violence prevention fund transparently, and mandating menstrual hygiene infrastructure in every school to retain girls in education.

This report was prepared under the leadership of Dr. Chandra Timsina and Sujana Kansakar. Biratnagar Deputy Mayor Shilpa Nirala Karki expressed confidence that the report will help the local government create fact-based 'gender-responsive' plans in budget and policy making in the coming days.

Karki expressed confidence that the study would be helpful, as planning had been difficult due to a lack of data. 'We spent two years preparing this document to end the dilemma of which sector to prioritize and how to empower women, as there was no real data on women in any office that could be used as a basis for budget allocation,' she said. She added that this data would now be the main basis and asset for improving the condition of women in Biratnagar.