2025

The penultimate Rana ruler of Nepal, Padma Shamsher, who called himself a public servant, gave a speech from his residence on May 16, 1947, one and a half years after he came to power. The speech was broadcast via a newly set up radio station and through loudspeakers arranged at the Tundikhel. In this speech, […]

This study examines the paradoxical perceptions men hold regarding sexual harassment against women in public space in Nepal. Drawing from in-depth interviews with 48 men from diverse walks of life in Kathmandu, this research examines the underlying contradictions in their responses. On one hand, many men acknowledged the prevalence of sexual harassment and expressed rage

The rise of ride-hailing services in Kathmandu has enabled women to claim public spaces, challenge entrenched patriarchal norms and redefine their roles in traditionally male-dominated domains. However, these women frequently face acts of gender policing (Pascoe, 2007)—a systematic enforcement of societal expectations regarding gender. Manifested through unwelcome verbal comments, intrusive personal questions, physical behaviors, and

There is a growing community of Nepali women who are passionate about travel, exploring public spaces through activities such as cycling, camping, and trekking. In doing so, they transition from being passive subjects to active participants in these spaces. This paper examines this shift in women’s roles and explores how their travel experiences reflect aspirations

Over the past few years, the Government of Nepal has adopted new civil registration laws to regulate the registration of vital life events, such as birth, marriage, divorce, migration, and death. With support from a World Bank project, and with reference to the new laws, the government has developed new digital infrastructure and support teams

In La chambre claire. Note sur la photographie [The Clear Room. A Note on Photography], published by Gallimard/Seuil (Paris) in 1980, Roland Barthes examines the ontology of photography. He discusses how photography “repeats what can no longer be repeated existentially”, and therefore represents “the absolute Particular”, being “entirely weighed down by contingency”. Barthes emphasized the

A very hot debate at the popular level has been going on in Nepal about the executive system as the popular perception is that the parliamentary system is behind the widespread power abuse and corruption, including institutional ones, and the lack of development of the country. Many advocates argue for the establishment of a presidential

Social media-based short videos are the recent popular medium of communication and entertainment. People are spending significant portion of their daily life, engaging on such videos. As a result, such videos are playing important roles on shaping public opinion and reflections. Unlike conventional media, one of the distinct characteristics of such media is that any

“Follow your dreams”, “Dream Act Achieve”, “Stop dreaming, start flying” – these and similar slogans circulate widely on the social media accounts of Nepal’s numerous cabin crew training institutes. These institutes, part of a larger private skills training industry in urban Nepal, operate on the promise that the acquisition of “proper” soft skills along with

Indigenous peoples’ sense of self is deeply rooted in self-determination and their ancestral lands. The Thakali population, one of the many indigenous communities residing in Nepal, possesses its own unique set of collective laws, traditions, and customs deeply intertwined with their ancestral homeland, Thak Satsae or Thakkhola. However, over the years, many Thakali people have