The Himalayan trek in Pokhara was an amazing experience. Post cards and pictures cannot say enough about its magnificence. The tips of the Himalayas covered with snow appeared in between lush greenery, and the contrast was absolutely stunning. Indescribable feelings emerged the moment I saw the mountains, and the sense of satisfaction came right after.
While we were trekking, we interacted with many locals and at the same time, we saw terraced fields of rice and corn, which are their income source.
We took a break in front of a lake that was made just for the locals to do their laundry, and we were able to see real lifestyles. However, culture of male-dominance was clearly visible, since only women were gathering around the lake doing their laundry, which included very young children.
I asked to several Nepali men about men’s participation in house works, but no one gave the answer that I wanted. The beauty of the mountains worsened my dejection toward this situation.
It is said that 7 hundred million people in the world are illiterate, and 70% of them are concentrated in Asian countries. Seeing the situation in Nepal in my own eyes, there is no doubt for me to say that male-dominant social structure is one cause. In Nepal, same as other underdeveloped Asian countries, girls drop out rate for the school is very high. This is because their parents want them to work for the family, or the parents don’t recognize the importance of education.
There were four Nepali girls as guides from 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking, which is a trekking company that train Nepali girls in order to socially empower them. I was able to have fruitful conversation with one of the girls who spoke fluent English, and she was once a graduate student. She told me about her complex background that her father has two wives in Nepal and in India. No matter how she complains about the situation or expresses her frustration and toward his father, she was always turned away because she is a girl. However, she admitted that she would never question or argue about this situation if she had not been educated. Education gave her the cognition of female discrimination. For the girls who don’t receive education, male dominance is perceived as one form of culture, so it would be difficult for them to raise complaint. No matter how they harmed physically or being insulted, their sorrow would be left in their inner heart as a scar for a long time because they cannot raise voice.
After talking to her, I was able to reaffirm the value of education, which all of Nepali girls must have access to. The girl I talked to established herself as an independent woman, and was expanding her field of vision by interacting with people who come to trek from all over the place. I see her as a perfect embodiment of the slogan for 3 Sisters Trekking Company which said,
“Women do not need sympathy, we need education and opportunityâ€