Economic Development
Being 17th poorest and least developed nations in the world and the poorest in South Asia, Nepal, has about one-third of its population living at or below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day (CIA, 2017). Poverty levels in Nepal has vast differences between caste and ethnic groups and between different regions (Economic Growth and Trade, 2016). Nepal has a GDP as of 2016 of $71.52 billion with about 29% of that coming from remittance from family member working abroad (CIA, 2017). 40% of Nepal’s GDP comes from agriculture, which employs about 76% of the workforce (Knowledge Encyclopedia, N.D.). Employing about 18% percent of the population and making up about 41% of the GDP is services, with industry only making about 22% of the GDP and employing about 6% of the population (Knowledge Encyclopedia, N.D.). Nepal’s economy has also relied on tourism due the spectacular landscape, the eight highest mountains in the world along and the rich and diverse culture; but the 2015 earthquakes slowed tourism down and causing damages and losses and setting back Nepal economically (Di Battista, 2015). Nepal does receive about $50 million a year for the Gurkha soldiers who service in the British and Indian armies (Knowledge Encyclopedia, N.D.). The poverty in rural Nepal with an unemployment rate of 42% has roughly 300,000 young people looking for work abroad as unskilled labor or staying as part of the unproductive workforce (Encomia Growth and Trade, 2016). Many of the young Nepalese are migrating to India, the Gulf States and Malaysia to seek employment and sending their earning come to supplement their income. Nepal does receive about $50 million a year for the Gurkha soldiers who service in the British and Indian armies (Knowledge Encyclopedia, N.D.). It is estimated that remittance is around $1 billion, and the Persian Gulf and Malaysia has employed around 700,000 Nepali citizens (Knowledge Encyclopedia, N.D.). The main exports for Nepal are carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, and grains with an estimated total of $822 million. The imported commodities total around $2 billion in US dollars (Knowledge Encyclopedia, N.D.). The imports consist of petroleum products, machinery and equipment, gold, electrical goods and medicine and their import partners are India, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Arabia and China (CIA, 20147). India, Germany and the US are Nepal’s main export partners. |
GDP growth (basic prices), %. Source: Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved from https://blogs.adb.org/blog/final-take-economic-and-poverty-impact-nepal-earthquake
GDP Graph of Nepal. Retrieved from https://brandeisear.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/economic-diplomacy-in-nepal/
Image from Google of two Nepalese workers.
Gross value added loss in FY 2015 ($ million). Source: Central Bureau of Statistics retrieved from https://blogs.adb.org/blog/final-take-economic-and-poverty-impact-nepal-earthquake
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Social Development
According to the CIA has a literacy rate of 63.9% of the total population (CIA, 2017). Roughly one-third of the male population of Nepal in illiterate with 76.4% of males over 15 years old can read (CIA, 2017). Unfortunately, that number is higher in the female population. The average percent of females that are literate is 53.1%, which makes almost half the female population in Nepal illiterate.
In the traditional rural areas of Nepal, women are still subjected to gender discrimination (Nepal-Social Development, 2017). Though the government has strengthened the constitution to protect women, including equal pay for equal work, few women work in the money economy and the government and citizens don’t recognize the societal problems of domestic abuse and violence against women (Nepal-Social Development, 2017). Women suffer discrimination in inheritance and marriage rights even though it has been strengthened over recent years (Nepal-Social Development, 2017). There is still slavery, human trafficking and abduction of young girls from Nepal to India as prostitutes (Nepal-Social Development, 2017).
Women are not the only ones suffering from discrimination in Nepal as there is a widespread discrimination of those in the lower castes and many are in positions of bonded labor (Nepal-Social Development, 2017). Those is senior positions of politics and civil services are made up of the urban-oriented castes, like those of the Brahmin and Chhetri (Nepal-Social Development, 2017).
Since much of Nepal is rural countryside, the government maintains the country village development services that tries to meet their needs such as food, clothing, health services, shelter and education.
According to the CIA has a literacy rate of 63.9% of the total population (CIA, 2017). Roughly one-third of the male population of Nepal in illiterate with 76.4% of males over 15 years old can read (CIA, 2017). Unfortunately, that number is higher in the female population. The average percent of females that are literate is 53.1%, which makes almost half the female population in Nepal illiterate.
In the traditional rural areas of Nepal, women are still subjected to gender discrimination (Nepal-Social Development, 2017). Though the government has strengthened the constitution to protect women, including equal pay for equal work, few women work in the money economy and the government and citizens don’t recognize the societal problems of domestic abuse and violence against women (Nepal-Social Development, 2017). Women suffer discrimination in inheritance and marriage rights even though it has been strengthened over recent years (Nepal-Social Development, 2017). There is still slavery, human trafficking and abduction of young girls from Nepal to India as prostitutes (Nepal-Social Development, 2017).
Women are not the only ones suffering from discrimination in Nepal as there is a widespread discrimination of those in the lower castes and many are in positions of bonded labor (Nepal-Social Development, 2017). Those is senior positions of politics and civil services are made up of the urban-oriented castes, like those of the Brahmin and Chhetri (Nepal-Social Development, 2017).
Since much of Nepal is rural countryside, the government maintains the country village development services that tries to meet their needs such as food, clothing, health services, shelter and education.
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The YouTube video show the plight of Nepalese finding employment and the struggles of employment abroad. This is the story of Shanti and her experience as a domestic worker abroad in Kuwait.
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The video explains The International Monetary Funds's way of creating economic growth for Nepal.
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