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Carnegie Mellon University

Publication Date

Spring 2015

Program Name

Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples

Abstract

Gender and sexuality in current day Nepal is at the crux of a societal revolution, as the deeply ingrained patriarchal society framed against the emergence of new ideas results in a shifting social climate in which old and new clash. As modernization and economic development permeate Nepal, they bring with them individualistic ideals which gradually infiltrate society, altering long held social attitudes toward marriage, gender, and sexuality. However, despite societal change and even changing legislation for the rights of women and members of the LGBTI community, both of these minorities still face overwhelming discrimination and prejudice in Nepali society. Sexual and gender minorities in particular face a deeply rooted stigma and obstacles in virtually every arena of their lives. This study explores the life experiences of sexual and gender minorities, with the aim of understanding their daily struggles as well as investigating how society has changed in recent years in regards to social attitudes toward gender and sexuality. The study was conducted in Kathmandu, Nepal, primary methodology being interview, with the hopes of gaining a clearer look into the lives of the LGBTI community and reaching an understanding of Nepal’s changing social climate.

Disciplines

Asian Studies | Community-Based Research | Family, Life Course, and Society | Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Gender and Sexuality | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Organization Development | Politics and Social Change | Sociology of Culture

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