Patriarchal society: A source of discrimination on women By Rabi Kiran Adhikari Nepali community is considered as a very cultured and disciplined. Unfortunately, some of the tragic events suggest a need of deeper understanding behind the so-called discipline and well-cultured community. The deep rooted values that community have been endorsing in many aspects through the practice of behaving in term of differences in gender, caste, ranking etc have led us to follow the negatively conotated “patriarchal society”. We have witnessed several changes in the form of government structure or political system, the prevailing values and patriarchal system have not been reformed as expected, which still become a form of discriminatory standard within the intra family cycle and beyond. The so-called form of protection and observatory status on women from their parent and community has created a barrier in their smooth life cycle growth, a bitter truth to reveal. As it is ultimately hindering the objective reality that was not intended though, showing in the form of difference in behavior and action. The objective of protection or observation of the activities of women was even for good purpose, the results are quite opposite. In some of the communities, they called it as a civilized action to observe the girls or women and protect from others and they called this as a duty of family. But the consequences are found to be negative in the form of outcome. It suggests that protection needs a trust, confidence and freedom as well as an open nurturing environment fostering to the potential of every human. The physical protection is one thing, but psychosocial protection demands an independency state, and this can cultivate the culture of openness and creativity, ultimately brings a best in person in the form of empowered status. This nurtured value system which favors the coexistence of man and women in the form of building blocks can be made with structural and system change approach, as we have been able to change the political system in Nepal that also in many times. This is something the output, yet to achieve the outcome, which is the transformation in the form of people’s reality to enjoy the freedom ensured by the democracy. Education plays an instrumental role, in this aspect, as a basic pillar, many evidences have already shown that while intensifying this need with the mix of capacity to challenge the negative norms prevailing in house and community or in the state, ignored knowingly. The patriarchal mindset has impacted the life of women in accessing education and other life skills opportunities which ultimately impacting all other necessities like health and nutritional status, employment opportunities, respectful participation and overall holistic development. Many of them have passed with the phase of object to men, early pregnancy, untimely treatment, hunger, disrespectful family bounding, domination and discrimination and some instances in the form of untimely death or suicide or killing or rape. Crossman (2019) said that patriarchal perspectives and arrangements are widespread and taken for granted. As a result, women’s viewpoint tends to be silenced or marginalized to the point of being discredited or considered invalid. The role of male engagement and involvement is therefore important in women’s life, particularly, in the patriarchal family. To understand all these dynamics of social involvement of men, the inter-linkage of the social relation is important. The improvement in men’s involvement may also been impacted by the socio-demographic characteristics. It is essential that the complex factor of gender and social structure are largely dependent upon the male structure. The family support mechanism and the interaction using symbols play an important role. The symbols present in the community are very deep-rooted and people follow these symbols without understanding its consequences. The education system in Nepal has also not provided the opportunities to understand the reaction gestures presented by them. This is something we are not prioritizing the dark part of our community and only concentrating our efforts to change the superficial layers, which is in expressed form only. One of the manifestations of patriarchal influences are in the form of child marriage -- still in a massive scale in Nepal. Even getting married before 20 years is illegal in Nepal. It has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world. Other patriarchal norms include dowry and menstruation discrimination throughout the country (people talk about Chhaupadi practice in west Nepal only but it is in different form in all community throughout the Nepal). Disparity in education quality and educational opportunities among men and women exists significantly and this is one of the highly influential one. Other forms of patriarchal manifestation are not accepting the women in president from the inner heart by those dominating characteristics. Also, the ratio of women in evening college or schools, more girls in community high schools, property in the name of male members, in community meetings the number of participants, not allowing to travel single, taking permission to go to cinema or restaurant or even before going to sleep or work etc which can be written in many pages. Still due to strong presence of the patriarchy in Nepal – although the country has provisioned equal law to women -- we can still see a significant level of bias or stereotypes towards women. The Constitution of Nepal 2015 has ensured equal rights to all, there is the disproportionate control by male over female and it is the reason that culture was one of the major deciding factors underlying this biased preference. As we start the post COVID-19 world, intensifying the balance of human civilization are one of the areas of attention which tend to be missed in the past. The form of addressing response towards gender, caste and other unheard issues has to be linked with the social norms instead of political only. Empowerment does not always start from political changes, this rooted issues to be dealt from the micro social perspectives as well. The rights based approach is also important in this aspect, utilizing an empowerment lens would further intensify the outcomes. (The writer is the MPhil student, Department of Development Education, Kathmandu University.)