Women in Nepal have long experienced poverty, social exclusion, and marginalization because of their gender, especially among ethnic minorities and low-caste groups. Between 2002 and 2013, the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Nepal developed and implemented the Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women Project to reduce poverty by empowering rural women and members of other disadvantaged groups through an integrated process of economic, social, legal, and political empowerment. This publication presents the case study of that project which contributed to Nepal’s drive to eradicate gender-based inequality.

With reference to Nepal.

International development efforts aimed at improving girls’ lives and education have been well-intended, somewhat effective, but ultimately short-sighted and incomplete. This is because international development efforts often operate under a reductive understanding of the term 'gender' and how it influences the lives of girls and boys. Gender is more commonly conceived by international efforts as characteristics which are ascribed to girls as norms for behaviour. In particular, the analysis in Gender Trouble Makers focuses on the social constructions of gender and the ways in which gender was reinforced and maintained through a case study in rural Nepal. In developing countries like Nepal, promoting access to and participation in existing formal education programme is clearly necessary, but it is not, in itself, sufficient to transform gender power relations in the broader society. When gender is properly addressed as a process, then all stakeholders involved - researchers, governmental officials, and community members - can begin to understand and devise more effective ways to increase both girl and boy students’ enrollment, participation, and success in school.

Examines the socio-economic status of women in Nepal, including issues of education, gender-based violence, access to political and administrative decision-making, and rural infrastructure, with the aims of eliminating gender inequality and empowering women.

Trade can dramatically improve women’s lives, creating new jobs, enhancing consumer choices, and increasing women’s bargaining power in society. It can also lead to job losses and a concentration of work in low-skilled employment. Given the complexity and specificity of the relationship between trade and gender, it is essential to assess the potential impact of trade policy on both women and men and to develop appropriate, evidence-based policies to ensure that trade helps to enhance opportunities for all. Research on gender equality and trade has been constrained by limited data and a lack of understanding of the connections among the economic roles that women play as workers, consumers, and decision makers. Building on new analyses and new sex-disaggregated data, Women and Trade: The Role of Trade in Promoting Gender Equality aims to advance the understanding of the relationship between trade and gender equality and to identify a series of opportunities through which trade can improve the lives of women.

This publication presents a gender equality and social inclusion (GeSi) analysis of six priority sectors in Nepal: agriculture and natural resources management, energy, skills development, urban development, transport and water, and sanitation and hygiene. The publication identifies practical ways in which gender equality, social inclusion, and women’s empowerment approaches can be integrated into each of these sectors. The diagnostic aims to inform the GeSi initiatives of the Government of Nepal, the Asian development Bank, and other development partners of the country.

"The 2012 report recognized that expanding women's agency - their ability to make decisions and take advantage of opportunities is key to improving their lives as well as the world. This report represents a major advance in global knowledge on this critical front. The vast data and thousands of surveys distilled in this report cast important light on the nature of constraints women and girls continue to face globally. This report identifies promising opportunities and entry points for lasting transformation, such as interventions that reach across sectors and include life-skills training, sexual and reproductive health education, conditional cash transfers, and mentoring. It finds that addressing what the World Health Organization has identified as an epidemic of violence against women means sharply scaling up engagement with men and boys. The report also underlines the vital role information and communication technologies can play in amplifying women's voices, expanding their economic and learning opportunities, and broadening their views and aspirations. The World Bank Group's twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity demand no less than the full and equal participation of women and men, girls and boys, around the world." -- Publisher's description.