District Gender Profile, Gorkha 1

Gorkha Gender Profile (May, 2016)

1. Demographic Profile1

2. Impact of Earthquake2

Gorkha is located in the Gandaki Zone of the Western

Development Region of Nepal, surrounded by Dhading,

Tanahu, Lamjung, Manang and Chitwan districts and it touches

the border of Tibet. It is the fourth largest of 75 districts in Nepal

and covers an area of 3,610 square kilometers, with elevations

ranging from 228 – 8163 meters, and a varied climate.

Gorkha’s total population of 271,061 people is comprised of

150,020 females and 121,041 males within a total of 66,506

households. The district is divided into three electoral

constituencies, and 13 regions or Ilakas which are divided into

60 Village Development Committees (VDCs) and two

Municipalities.

On 25 April 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake with the

epicenter located at Barpak, Gorkha, hit Nepal causing

massive destruction and severe casualties. Two weeks later,

another earthquake of 7.3 magnitude shook eastern Nepal.

According to a UNDP flash report, 5.4 million people living in 14 out of Nepal’s 75 districts were

severely affected. Gorkha was one of the severely affected districts with casualties including 470

1 CBS Nepal (Population Census 2011)

2 Statistic Office, Gorkha (District Profile of Gorkha 2071/2014)

0.66% Population

Growth Rate

190 Maternal

Mortality Rate

(per 100,000 live

births)

2.5 Total Fertility

Rate

69.6 Female Life Expectancy

67.5 Male Life Expectancy

271,061 Total Population

0.89m/f Sex Ratio 2011.

75.14% Hindu

19.09% Buddhist

3.26% Christian

1.12% Muslim

0.63% Bon

55.3% Female Population

36% Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 2

deaths (233, 49.57% women), 952 injured (476, 50% women), and the complete destruction of

more than 59,573 houses, 3,074 school classrooms, and 79 health posts3

The development progress of the district is expected to be severely impacted by the devastating

earthquake. The immediate response in the aftermath of the earthquake was primarily focused

on search and rescue operations, relief support, and protection for displaced families. The DDRC,

with material and financial support from the Ministry of Home Affairs, DDC, Gorkha, other district

authorities, and humanitarian organizations, mobilized security forces along with equipment for

search, rescue, and relief operations. The DDRC immediately mobilized nine clusters to provide

lifesaving assistance including shelter, food, health/nutrition, WASH, and protection to all people

affected by the disaster. Specially protected vulnerable groups (pregnant women, lactating

mothers, adolescent girls, senior citizens, and people with disabilities) were provided with dignity

kits and other essential support for health care, nutrition, psycho-social support, and referrals

through women safe houses, women centers, and multi-purpose women’s centers. More than

100 humanitarian organizations (INGOs, UN agencies, and private agencies) supported the

response and early recovery in Gorkha.4

3. Socio-Cultural, Political, Economic, and Security Conditions5

Socio-Cultural Practices: Gorkha’s population is diverse. Ethnic groups including Gurung, Magar, Newar, and Tamang represent 44% of the total population. Dalits represent 19% of the population, which corresponds with national data, and 37% of the population is made up of others. There is some sharing of social and cultural practices between ethnic groups. Most celebrate Dashai, Tihar, and other festivals commonly, but some specific festivals are only celebrated by respective social groups. As per the socio-cultural practices among different ethnic groups, marriage plays a decisive role in all women’s life choices and their social-economic status, with a woman’s decision making power dependent upon their hierarchy in the family. Single women are discriminated against in Nepalese culture, particularly those who have been widowed, who are considered ill-fated and not allowed to participate in various functions of society.6 The practice of Chhaupadi system still exists in this district, which requires women to remain separated from the rest of society for five days during menstruation. Despite Nepal declaring the country free of Untouchability in June 20067 and also passing and implementing the Untouchability Act 20118, the practice of untouchability has not stopped, especially in the rural areas, and it has not changed the discriminatory behavior of people toward Dalits, who lack legal identity. Most Dalit women do not have citizenship certificates and therefore cannot access land ownership, bank accounts, formal jobs, or government services.9 Dalits are a particularly vulnerable group who tend to be less aware of their rights, are not able to access education, and it was also reported that they were excluded from accessing the relief items during the earthquake response and early recovery.10

3 Protection Cluster-Gorkha August 2015 4 Workshop proceeding on humanitarian response and recovery strategy planning, Gorkha 19-20 Nov 2015. 5 For information on Gorkha’s caste/ethnicity, religion and literacy statistics see Annex 4 6 RGA Overview Nepal CARE (8 May 2015) 7 http://en.people.cn/200606/05/eng20060605_271161.html 8 http://idsn.org/nepal-passing-of-untouchability-bill-is-a-historic-achievement-for-the-dalit-movement/ 9 http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/nepal-law-on-discrimination-based-on-caste/ 10Save the Children 05-04-2015

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 3

In Gorkha there are 24,744 (37.2%) female-headed households out of 66,506 total households

and the total absentee population is 28,104 (25,375 men and 2,729 women). Only 5,818 women

(8.74%)11 retain ownership and the registration for their house/land, which illustrates the

discriminatory behavior and unequal distribution of assets between women and men. Single

women (widows) are not treated equally to women who are married, even though most of the time

their husbands are absent from the country.

Child Marriage: The practice of child marriage exists in Gorkha despite the Government’s policy

and law against child marriage under 20 years old for both women and men.12 There is a concern

that the number of child marriages has increased post-crisis, as families turn to child marriage as

a way to reduce the burden on the family due to poverty.13

Polygamy: Polygamy, which is discriminatory against women and creates conflict and violence

against women, is illegal and punishable under the law, but the practice still exists in almost all

parts of the country. In Gorkha, 3,163 men 10 years of age and older (1.16%)14 practice polygamy,

out of a total population of 271,061.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, more than 30 organizations supported and provided services

to vulnerable groups in coordination with the DDRC under the leadership of the Women and

Children Office. A total of 4,190 children (2,186 girls and 2,004 boys) including, 966 Dalit children

(510 girls and 446 boys), 2,192 Janajati children (1,155 girls and 1,037 boys), and 1,031 other

children (521 girls and 511 boys) were supported with different services by international

development partners (Save the Children, CARE, World Vision, Good Neighbours, etc.), UN

agencies, NGOs, clubs, and private agencies. The services provided included education support,

health care, food, and clothes. Thirty-five child-friendly spaces were established covering the 35

VDCs in Gorkha Municipality and will continue until a permanent school building is constructed.

A transit house established to support orphaned children is still running. Eighty-seven children

(39 girls and 48 boys) received disability IDs enabling them to receive support from the

government.15

Similarly, 3,266 vulnerable women (pregnant, lactating mothers) were provided with dignity kits.

In addition, senior citizens and people with disabilities were provided with dignity kits and other

services from international development partners, UN agencies, and NGOs in coordination with

the WCO. A total of 30,236 women benefitted from female safe spaces established in 33 VDCs

and Gorkha hospital. Elderly women and people with disabilities were also provided with

support.16

Political Situation: Gorkha is divided into three electoral constituencies which are divided into 13 District Development Committee regions or Ilaka. These are divided into 60 VDCs and two Municipalities and each VDC has its nine Wards. Gorkha Municipality is segregated into fifteen Wards. The nine major political parties are present in the district. All three constituencies were

11 CBS Nepal (Population Census 2011) 12 http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/10/child-marriage-defies-laws-in-nepal/ 13 RGA (CARE 29-04-2015) 14 CBS Nepal (Population Census 2011) 15 Status Report –DCWB-Gorkha Nov 2015 16 Protection Cluster-Gorkha August 2015

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 4

represented by NCP- Maoist (all male candidates) in the second CA election of 2070 (2013). There is an Inter Party Women’s Alliance at the district level as a decision making body. The political situation is normal in Gorkha. Economic Conditions: Agriculture is the main source of income in this district and 81% of the population is dependent on agriculture, however only 8.74% of women hold land and house ownership. The total economically active population is 135,616 (62.46%) and of that 56.40% of those are women. Though more women are economically active than men, most women are involved in the informal sectors. Women’s participation in the labor force is 55.83%17 and most of them are self-employed. The HDI value is 0.481 for this district, per capita income is NPR 46,488 and 33.6% of the population lives below the poverty line.18 Security Conditions: Security conditions in the district are normal as compared to other districts. Security force/law and different protection committees exist in the district.19 As a result of the earthquake, many youth have started to migrate to neighboring countries and there has been an increment in cases of gender-based violence and rape cases, howeverno cases of human trafficking have been reported to the WCO and DPO. . There are no women and girl-friendly spaces within the campsites where they can feel safe and secure from male harassment as they go about their daily life. Use of alcohol is common for male members who stay in the campsites.20 It is frequently reported that groups of drug-addicted youth are involved in robbery and other criminal activities.21

4. Mapping of Needs and Vulnerabilities Across Sex and Different Age Groups

The devastating earthquake damaged most building infrastructure and displaced families took

shelter in campsites. Development partners, UN agencies, and different clusters reported that

earthquake-affected people needed a variety of assistance to fulfill their basic rights, the most

common need being permanent accommodation. Children aged 5-19 years old comprise 35.5%

of the population (18.5% of which are girls) and needed immediate access to awareness,

education, health and nutrition, and food security. With the support of UNICEF, 900 children who

were orphaned due to the earthquake were provided with NPR 5,000 per head.22 Civil society

organizations and private schools are providing scholarships to the earthquake-affected children

in their locations in Gorkha (OpenMic Bulletin 30th issues, Feb 016).

Adults aged 20-49 years old who represent 33.5% of the population (21.2% are women) generally

need safety and security protection. Women particularly need health and nutrition care, medicine,

food security, WASH facilities, and protection from GBV. This vulnerable group remains at a high

risk for miscarriage, anemia, and other deficiencies due to lack of food, nutrition, and proper health

care, which can increase the maternal and child mortality rate. Women and girls are also

vulnerable to human trafficking due to the lack of livelihood options, lack of awareness, and lack

of education about the need for self- protection.

17 Statistic Office, Gorkha (District Profile of Gorkha 2071/2014) 18 Human Development Report 2014 19 See Annex 5 for a list of these 20 Women Safety Audit Report WHR (November 2015, Gorkha) 21 Daily Sitrep, UNDSS, Gorkha Hub 22 District Child Welfare Committee, Gorkha (Report 2072)

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 5

Dalit women are in the worst positon due to the practice of untouchability, poverty, less opportunity

for education, lower social and economic status, and a lack of legal identity. They need specific

support for protection and prevention of gender-based violence. Janajatis - Gurung who make-up

19.68% and Magar 11.58% of the population have different cultures and there is no gender

discrimination in the Sherpa, Gurung, and Magar communities. However, they are also vulnerable

because of geographic remoteness and less access to government services. Women especially

need awareness on their rights, education, and skills development which can capture and

enhance their traditional knowledge with new skills for their better livelihood.

The third gender group is also one of society’s vulnerable groups.23 They face difficulties adjusting

in society because of their original sex and the gender role that they are playing now. For example,

they are unsure whether they should use the male or female toilet facilities in the campsites for

the earthquake-affected areas, depending on their current gender-identity. Society still has not

integrated them as a third gender. They are vulnerable to HIV/AIDs and their ability to have a

sustainable livelihood is weakened. Most people who identify as the third gender stay out of their

family.

Adults (aged 50-69) from different social groups who represent 16% of the total population (8.2%

are women) need livelihood activities to build income potential in their locations and facilities for

health care, WASH, food security, and social security, especially Dalit women and single women

from all groups. Without access to facilities, they may be vulnerable to depression and other

diseases. People aged 70 and above represent 6% of the total population (3.02% are women),

and are a very vulnerable group who need more care and attention from the family as well as

from the government. People with disabilities of any age are a vulnerable group who represent

2.1% (1% are women) of the total population and they need special support from the family and

government to fulfill their rights.24

The Government is providing skills development trainings to vulnerable groups, as appropriate in

coordination with international development partners and other concerned stakeholders to involve

them in recovery and reconstruction, and help to support them to improve their livelihood and

support their families (OpenMic Bulletin 30th issues, Feb 016).

5. Gender-Based Violence and Protection25

As a result of the earthquake, a total of 16,835 internally displaced people (51% women) from

3,367 households are staying in the 13 campsites in Gorkha and the government is in the process

of settling them on appropriate land. Currently, they remain vulnerable and need protection, food,

health care, and other requirements to fulfil their human rights. The most vulnerable groups

among these people are those who have special needs including pregnant women, lactating

mothers, senior citizens, children, people with disabilities, single women, and adolescent girls.26

Since the earthquake, most women and girls in the campsites and those seeking temporary

shelter on their own are at risk of GBV. The assessments conducted by different organizations

23 For background on the third gender group, please see Annex 6 24 CBS Nepal (Population Census 2011) 25 For background on this in Nepal and Gorkha see Annex 8 26https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lxHkt8ICV2YDz8RvZAuwSxMt3P9z7ej7QNbCATkL0/edit#gid

=1980122448

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 6

revealed that women and girls feel unsafe and unsecure, particularly in the temporary shelters

when changing their clothes and going to the toilet, especially at night. Adolescent girls are afraid

that they will have to drop out of the school because their parents want to send them for foreign

employment. In the affected districts, girls are participating in school 10% less than before the

earthquake.27 According to information collected for the assessment report, men have increased

their use of alcohol and gambling since the earthquake due to suffering from depression, and it

has been a major cause of GBV within the family.

Landless families usually work in others’ fields for wages and in this case Dalit women and other

disadvantaged groups receive less in wages than men for the same work. Eighty percent of

families own at least a small piece of agricultural land but land ownership remains with men. Only

in exceptional cases is ownership in the name of the woman, usually a single women (widow) or

those whose husbands are living in another country. The government policy of charging 20% less

for land registration in the name of women has increased women’s ownership of land on the

national level. Due to the earthquake, 10% of women lost their citizenship cards.28 They need

support to get their legal documents re-issued.

27 PIN Her Safety Assessment Final (Nov 2015) 28 Rapid Gender Analysis, Gorkha, Oxfam (June 2015)

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 7

Annex 1:

Available Gender Expertise and Capacities (women groups/collectives/ networks)29

The Women and Children Office (WCO) is a dedicated focal point of the Government to implement

the policy of GESI mainstreaming and address the issues of women, children, and vulnerable

groups at the district level. It promotes women’s groups in all VDCs and 46 cooperatives for socio-

economic empowerment and enhancing the leadership of women by providing skills development

to support economic growth and awareness trainings on GESI policy, women’s rights, violence

against women, and gender-based violence.

The District Development Committee (DDC) is an extension of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and

Local Development (MoFALD) and has a Social Development section in the district to address

gender equality and social inclusion issues. Women’s participation has been made mandatory in

programme planning, implementation, supervision, and monitoring the committee on the VDC

level.

The District Administration Office is responsible for combating GBV and promoting peace building

through the implementation of the gender equality policy. The Women Police Cell of the District

Police Office is the main government agency for implementing gender equality and women’s

empowerment where women have the opportunity to share their experience and get justice.

Almost all of the government line agencies have a gender focal person to mainstream GESI in

their respective programmes/projects and provide technical assistance to carry out GESI audits.

At the community level, the VDC/Municipality hosts and facilitates various committees and groups

dedicated to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. The VDC/Municipality is

responsible for ensuring the participation of women and girls in the local level planning process

from settlement to VDC, and in local level activities it is mandatory that at least 20% of

participation in all development committees be from women. Local Government is implementing

the Local Governance Community Development Program (LGCDP), and under this programme

there are Ward Citizen Forums (WCF) where there is a mandatory minimum of 33% women’s

participation and leadership, this is the main decision making local government structure to

approve the priorities of target groups (women, Children, Dalit, Janajati, persons with disabilities

etc) Similarly, each VDC/Municipality has one Citizen Awareness Centre which is the platform for

more than 90% of women from disadvantaged groups to discuss socio-economic empowerment

of its members including livelihood and social mobilization. It conducts sessions on the reflect

model as well as various awareness and advocacy activities focused on women’s rights, child

rights, GBV, health, and sanitation-related concerns.30 The provision of Community Forest User

Committees requires them to have 50% women membership in its group/committees including in

key executive positions.

A list of CSOs, women’s groups, and networks working for mainstreaming gender equality, social

inclusion, and promoting women’s leadership is below:

29 Consultation with WCO and CSOs January 2016, Gorkha 30 Social Mobilization Guidelines 2071(2014/015)

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 8

CSOs/women’s group/networks INGOs/UN Agencies GoN Agencies

Network of Women’s Cooperative (36 VDCs)

Inter Party Women’s Alliance (district level)

Community Forest Users Group (CFUG) – (60 VDCs) Network (district level)

Women for Human Rights (9 VDCs)

WOREC Nepal

Mahila Balbalika Utthan Samaj (11 VDCs)

Mahila Balbalika Udhar Kendra (2 VDCs)

Paddati Bikash (60 VDCs)

Aama Samuha (60 VDCs)

Network of Female Community Health Volunteers (60 VDCs)

Health Mothers Group (60 VDCs)

Women Farmers’ Group (N/A),

Group of Adolescent Girls (13 VDCs)

Citizen Awareness Centre (CAC) (60 VDCs)

HIMAWANTI

TPO Nepal

NGO Federation (60 VDCs)

FNJ (district level coverage)

Network of Persons With Disabilities (district level)

NRCS (sub-branches in 12 VDCs)

Kopila Nepal

Shakti Samuha

Save the Children (8 VDCs)

Care International(11 VDCs)

Oxfam in Nepal (10 VDCs)

Plan International

People in Needs (7 VDCs)

UN Women (6 VDCs)

UNFPA (N/A)

UNICEF (60 VDCs)

UNDP

IOM (12 VDCs and 1 Municipality)

WHO (as per required)

WFP (60 VDCs)

FAO

CRS

INF

IMC

NEWAH

Caritas Nepal

Good Neighbours

ECO-Nepal

Women and Children Office

District Development Committee

District Police Office

District Administration Office

VDCs/Municipalities

District Attorney’s Office

District Reconstruction Authority (DRA)

Annex 2:

Nature and type of Coordination Mechanism (women and excluded groups’31

representation and leadership in these)

There are various coordination mechanisms existing in the district to promote gender equality and

women’s leadership as follows:

District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC) (among more than 20 members there are 2

women representatives from the WCO, NGO Federation and Nepal Scouts)

District Reconstruction Authority (DRA) (8 members, only 1 woman from the WCO)

Recovery and Reconstruction (R&R) Coordination Forum (it is open for women to

participate however, mostly men participate in the meetings)

31 Consultation with WCO, LDO, Women Police Cell and CSOs, Gorkha

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 9

District Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Working Group (DGWG) (there are

more than 30 members who are more than 50% women and chaired by the WCO)

Humanitarian Recovery and Reconstruction Platform (HRRP) (it is open for women to

participate however mostly men participate in the meetings)

Gender Mainstreaming Coordination Committee (out of 17 members, 3women

representatives from the WCO, the NGO Federation and women social workers)

Coordination Committee for Ending Gender-Based Violence and Promoting Women’s

Empowerment (out of 7 members, 3 women from the WCO,women social workers and

the NGO Federation)

Women Coordination Committee (N/A) passive

District Coordination Committee for Combating Human Trafficking (out of 7 members, 3

women from the WCO, , woman scout volunteers and WHR)

District Child Welfare Board (total of 17 members with 4 women from the WCO, a women

activist, NGO Federation, and Social Worker)

Ward Citizen Forums (more than 33% women out of 27 members)

District Gender Responsive Budget Committee (3 women from the WCO, NGO

Federation, and FNCCI out of a total of 16 members)

Social Protection District Coordination Committee (the WCO and other male members)

Social Mobilization District Coordination Committee (2 women from the WCO and NGO

Federation and 11 male members)

Population and Social Committee (under district planning) (WCO and others)

Integrated Plan Formulation Committee (under district planning) (the WCO, government

line agencies, and political parties)

District Disaster Risk Reduction Committee (the WCO, NGO Federation, and all line

agencies)

Gender-Based Violence Relief Distribution Committee (2 women from the WCO, a

Social Worker, and another 3 male members)

Food Security Network (the WCO, NGO Federation, and line agencies)

Senior Citizen Welfare Committee (the WCO and 7 male members)

CBR Coordination Committee (the WCO and 7 male members)

District Agriculture Development Committee (the WCO and 7 male members)

Reproductive Health Coordination Committee (the WCO, DHO, and other line agencies)

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 10

Annex 3:

Detail Information on Demographic Profile

271,061 Total Population

150,020 (55.3%) Females

121,041 (44.6%) Males

0.66% Population Growth Rate

190 Maternal Mortality Ratio (per 100,000 live births) (no data currently available)

2.5 Total Fertility rate

69.6 years Female Life Expectancy (no data currently

available)

67.5 years Male Life Expectancy (no data currently

available)

59.44% Female Literacy

75.09% Male Literacy

0.89 Sex Ratio

66,506 Total Households

24,744 (37.2%) Female Headed Households)

2,945 (1.08%) Women with Disabilities

3,324 (1.22%) Men with Disabilities

17,108 (6.31%) Adolescent Girls Population (14-19 years)

14,227 (5.24%) Adolescent Boys Population (14-19 years)

26,138 (9.64%) Young Population Men (15-29 years)

34,516 (12.73%) Aged People (60+ years)

21,776 (8.03%) Marriage Before Age of 20- Male

62,825 (23.17%) Marriage Before Age of 20- Female

7,728 (2.84%) Single Women (widow, divorced, and separated)

40,409 (14.90%) Young Population Women (15-29 years)

3,163 (1.16%) Polygamy Male 10 years and over

44,744 (16.50%) Girl Child Population under 14 years

44,454 (16.39%) Boy Child Population under 14 years

48 (0.01%) Boys with Disabilities under 18 years

39 (0.01%) Girls with Disabilities under 18 years

36 Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (2014)32

Annex 4: Population Data

a. Population by Caste/Ethnicity (having more than 10% of total population)33

Gurung -- 19.68% (53,342)

Dalit – 19% (51,624)

Brahman-Hill – 15.21% (41,229)

Chhetri – 11.61% (31,479)

32 District Health Office, Gorkha 33 Statistic Office, Gorkha (District Profile of Gorkha 2071/2014)

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 11

Magar – 11.58% (31,390)

b. Population by Religion34

Hindu – 75.14% (203,702)

Buddhist – 19.09% (51,766)

Christian – 3.26% (8,860)

c. Education Data by Sex35

Average Literacy Rate: 66.34%

Female Literacy Rate: 59.44%

Male Literacy Rate: 75.09%

Average Drop-out Rate: 5.5%

Literacy rates for women (59.44%) and men (75.09%) in the district illustrate that women do not have equal rights to education. The mean years of schooling in this district is 3.47. Recent statistics show that the population that is not in school (aged 5-25 years) is 24,793, of which 16,468 are women (66.24%) and 8,325 are men (33.57%). Enrollment of Dalit students from the primary to secondary level is 15,502 (18.9%) out of a total of 81,934 school going students. Dalit students represent a lower percentage than other ethnicities. The average dropout rate of 5.5% in the secondary level is higher for women than men because of cultural reasons, lack of separate toilet and sanitation facilities in the school, and insufficient women teachers to share their issues. There are only 13 women teachers at the secondary level while there are 319 male teachers in the district. Even though there are scholarships for Dalit students, girls’ enrollment is 4,896 (5.9%) at the primary level and significantly less enrollment at the secondary level, with 752 (0.9%) girls enrolled.36 Annex 5:

List of law enforcement and civil society groups working to combat gender-based

violence

Coordination Committee for Ending Gender-Based Violence,

Coordination Committee Against Human Trafficking chaired by CDO,

WCO

Member Secretary

Members from the District Police Office from Women Cell

Woman Social Worker

NGO Federation

NFJ

Police stations at the local level

GBV watch groups

34 Statistic Office, Gorkha (District Profile of Gorkha 2071/2014) 35 Statistics Office Gorkha (District Profile 2071, Gorkha) 36 Statistics Office Gorkha (District Profile 2071, Gorkha)

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 12

Annex 6:

Background on LGBT population as Third Gender in Nepal

The Nepal population census 2011 was planned and supposed to include the LGBT population

as a third gender, but was not successful due to the inability to collect accurate data due to

technical problems and not having experienced enumerators available to collect the data. On the

national level, the government has started to collect data and provide rights to the LGBT

community. Now they are included in the new constitution with the recognition of a third gender.

Some of the people identifying with the third gender have received a passport from the

government office with the gender category of “O” indicated. There is no available data in the

district on their numbers and category.37

Annex 7:

Nature, Availability, and Quality Services

The nature of services provided by different development partners (DPs) and UN agencies was

based on the needs of the different age groups and their vulnerability. The DPs are supporting

the rebuilding of infrastructure and distributing both food and non-food items. They are also

providing awareness-raising and training on health and psycho-social issues to different groups

of adolescents, women (pregnant and lactating), and senior citizens. They plan to support the

recovery and reconstruction phase, provide education support, skills development training,

building construction, lifesaving training, and livelihood promotion. DPs need to coordinate their

work for mainstreaming gender equality, social inclusion, and promoting the leadership of women

in their planned activities.

The Government provided services using a blanket approach to displaced people during response

and recovery. Currently, the Government plans to provide a reconstruction grant of NPR 200,000

using a blanket approach divided into three phases for all households.38 These grants will be

difficult for female-headed households to access, 37.2% of total households in the district. Many

of them are illiterate and unable to receive cash from the bank without others’ support. In addition,

there are also child-headed households who need specific support to construct their houses. The

PWD population also requires special support. The Government should have equitable and

inclusive procedures and guidelines for recovery and reconstruction to make it GESI responsive

and provide quality services.

37 UNDP, Williams Institute (2014), surveying Nepal’s sexual and gender minorities: An Inclusive Approach, Bangkok, UNDP 38 Shared by CRS in the coordination meeting of Human Recovery and Reconstruction Platform 2 Feb 2016

District Gender Profile, Gorkha 13

Annex 8:

Brief Background on Gender-Based Violence in Nepal and Gorkha

The prevalence of violence against women and girls in Nepal is high despite the many efforts

made by the GoN,39 international development partners, and CSOs on the national and district

level. Even with the implementation of the national plan of action to combat violence against

women, and the violence act and strategy, cases of violence are reported every day in many parts

of the country.

Consultations with the District Women Police Cell, WCO, and CSOs working in Gorkha revealed

that most cases of VAW in the district constitute domestic violence as a result of

misunderstandings between husband and wife. Many men from the district migrate to earn a living

and send remittance to their family and often they think the family does not use the remittance

properly. The lack of trust between husband and wife creates conflict and the reports come to the

District Women Police Cell for separation or divorce. Another cause of violence against women

is men’s use of alcohol which creates disputes in the family.

Gender-based violence is happening within the family, public places, school, and workplaces,

especially to adolescent girls. There is a trend of 10-15 cases of violence against women being

reported monthly in the District Women Police Cell (DWPC) in Gorkha. Very few cases of rape

are reported to the DWPC because families do not like to expose such cases and many of them

happen within the family and with relatives.40

Domestic violence, sexual violence against women and girls, and human trafficking have doubled

in number since the earthquake of 25 April 2015, and a FGD report found that the most unsafe

places for women and girls are bus stands, playgrounds, cinema halls, temples, and other public

places. It is reported that local level Police Stations need to increase the number of women police

staff to help create a safer environment for women and girls to report rape and violence cases

tothe police.. The safest places reported for GBV survivors to report their cases are the, WCO,

Municipality Office and WHR Office.41

Women and girls in Nepal face multiple burdens of violence including physical, sexual, emotional,

and structural. Women and girls may face discrimination, suffer stigma, and isolation if they seek

support for the violence they endure. Legal subordination, economic dependency cultural

obligation, and the social position of women are dominated by males. The patriarchal property is

inherited by men as their fundamental rights by birth.42 Socio-cultural violence includes various

forms such as bonded labour (women and men), witchcraft (specially blame for women), and

chhaupadi (discriminatory practice towards women during menstruation), even though Nepal is a

signatory to 23 treaties and International Human Rights instruments and has a legal framework

which largely supports women’s rights and equality.43

39http://www.afn.org.np/GenderSite.aspx?SHOW=LEGAL 40 Consultation with Women Police Cell, WCO and CSOs, Gorkha Jan 016 41 Women Safety Audit Report WHR (November 2015 Gorkha) 42 Final Assessment Report Rapid Gender Based Violence , Gorkha/Sindhupalchwok (Feb 2016) 43 RGA Overview Nepal-Final -CARE (8 May 2015)