Sara Parker

The effect of the ‘People’s War’ on schooling in Nepal, 1996–2006

This article focuses on the impact on schools and schooling of the ten-year ‘People’s War’ in Nepal between 1997 and 2007. It draws on research conducted in schools under a British Council funded Higher Education link 1 from 2000 to 2006. In particular, we examine the role that education played in creating and sustaining the conflict in Nepal owing to the important role of the school in the community and the inequalities in the Nepalese education system. Data from the research reveals differences in terms of gender, caste and location. The article argues that conflict around schools not only impacts on children and education but also on the wider communities, and that education can be both a cause of, and a solution to, conflict.

Longevity in Nepal: health, policy and service provision challenges

Longevity is a relatively recent phenomenon in Nepal; over the past few decades the priority in Nepal has been reducing infant and maternal mortality. With an increasingly ageing population and changing patterns of migration, this brings with it challenges to Nepali society in terms of meeting the needs of an ageing population and creating a policy environment that ensures these needs are met. This paper explores some of the complexities of an ageing population in Nepal and focuses on examining the various health and service implications to a nation that has recently been engaged in a decade long ‘People’s War’. Through highlighting the paucity of research in this area, this paper argues for an urgent need for research, both scientific and within the social sciences, into the complexities of meeting the needs of an ageing population in the context of Nepal. It clearly demonstrates the need for new spaces of dialogue to emerge where these debates and lessons can be shared.

Grassroots responses to violence against women and girls in post-earthquake Nepal: lessons from the field

ABSTRACT Violence against women and girls (VAWG), including sexual violence, can increase after natural disasters. This article provides evidence from Nepal, a country where progress has been made on gender equality but VAWG remains an endemic problem. Research since the earthquakes involving women activists and non-government organisations indicates the continuing challenges facing disaster response efforts to prevent VAWG and protect women. Women and girls in camps and temporary shelters feel threatened and insecure due to the risk of violence and lack of privacy. Humanitarian aid, health care, and disaster responses can challenge VAWG, and offer safe spaces for women and girls to be established. This article draws on the views of grassroots women’s activists in Nepal and shares lessons for development and humanitarian workers about steps to be taken to challenge and minimise VAWG in emergency situations.

Social policy, social work and age care in Nepal: mapping services and missing links

The emergence of an ageing population is a relatively new phenomenon in Nepal and has only just become an area of interest for researchers, health and social care practitioners and policy-makers. Life expectancy in Nepal has risen by more than 20 years in the past three decades and is currently 68 years of age. Until recently, Nepal was one of the few nations where men, on average, outlived women. As Nepal moves through the health transition this is no longer the case with recent statistics suggesting that an average life expectancy for females is now 69 years, two years greater than males. The ageing process in Nepal provides both challenges and opportunities for professionals, organisations and researchers. This paper provides an overview of the main issues related to an ageing population in Nepal and draws on research conducted under a British Academy Small Grant (BASG) project which ran from April 2011 until April 2012 in collaboration with the Nepal School of Social Work (NSSW), Kathmandu. Central issues emerging from the research suggest the need for more effective policies, better quality of care provision and perhaps more critically the role of advocacy in age-related concerns. Social work will have a key role to play in both advocating for the rights of the older population and ensuring that their needs are met.