Challenges to tradition

Women breaking down social barriers in Nepal

In Nepal, inequality in pay between men and women is widespread. Plan is working to discourage this practice through supporting Information, Education and Communication (IEC) sessions, which gives community members the opportunity to discuss the issues.

One particular session revealed that men were receiving 50 rupees and women 40 rupees for agricultural work, realising the importance of equal wages for both sexes the participants demanded this need for change. This example has been followed in other nearby communities.

In Bhainse, Makwanpur district, these sessions have helped women break down social barriers to roles within the community. Whereas before women were not allowed to fix roofs and plough fields, these traditional role distinctions have now been removed.

The IEC sessions are targeted especially for women and run weekly for a period of nine months. They have been successfully in minimising existing inequality practices within communities.