BEFORE THE CHANGE

The Nepali society is still very conservative, patriarchy is prevalent especially in rural areas. Family, culture, and religion dictate that young girls should marry and be housewife. In 2021, 90% of marriages were arranged.

For more than a decade, Nepal has experienced massive migration of its youth, both urban and abroad, for economic reasons. Due to systemic corruption, very low wages, and the caste system, which, although abolished in 1964, still governs society, young people have very few prospects. In 2021, 364000 Nepalis migrated to the Kathmandu Valley and in 2023/24, 741297 left to work abroad, 26.9% of GDP coming from abroad. Initially, this migration was primarily male; in 2011, only 11% of migrants were women. But thanks to the change in mindsets brought about by media and social networks, young girls are now allowed to leave to Kathmandu; in 2021, they represented 45% of urban migration. Their new financial independence allows them to emancipate, live alone, dream of Love, and go out at night. Most of them wish to go abroad; in 2023/24, 80,172 women left the country. To pay for visa fees and ensure a more comfortable lifestyle, some of them choose to become dancers in the numerous dance bars of the capital, the base salary is the median (15000 rps/month, about 100€), which is very insufficient to survive, but the commissions on alcohol sales allow them to earn up to 40000 rps/month (about 260€); or to engage in prostitution.