Ethnographic Studies of Stories of Subordinated, Oppressed Single Women in Kathmandu

The purpose of this paper is to highlight on the perceptions and practices of society towards single women, specifically the widows, in the context of Nepal. The focus is on issues of gender relations and the status of widow women. The arguments are based on the review of literature and the author’s own observation of social practices towards women and widow women. The discussion starts by defining the concept of women and single women and proceeds through the discussion of their status in relation to men as they are prescribed by codes of conduct of society. This paper focuses on familial assistance to those high caste Nepalese women who are either widowed or estranged from their husbands. Assistance from family is, therefore, essential to single women, but the structure of the kinship system and the norms governing behavior make accessing support sometimes difficult. Affine are responsible for the care of these women, but may have little motivation to provide it-particularly in cases of separation, divorce, or where the women is young or without offspring (therefore needing careful supervision and many years of support). Natal kin may have a greater desire to help, yet they face a number of constraints on their behavior towards once married women; thus they can often provide some assistance, but only rarely substantial support. Among the case studies and life histories of the respondents, most of the life of single women was found that they are in hardship and they are facing chronic problems; social; cultural; economic; psychological etc., even if in heart of city of Kathmandu then imagine what is in the far or in rural?