Expressing feelings and thoughts are some of the major features of freedom. A woman's independence and her freedom can be judged the way she express herself. In the study areas, women were found living in silence although they desire to express their opinions. They can not easily tell their in-laws about first pregnancy, menstruation, sickness, forced sex by their husbands, seeking permission to go to Maiti (maternal home). They always have a kind of fear (dar) and feel shy (laj) to tell such things even to their family members. Dar rakhnu (fearing) is an established psyche among Nepali women to do or act on anything against the established norms. There are many proverbs and idioms which are based on this. It is not the law but the norms that binds Nepali society. The laj (shame) binds to keep women from exposure to others. The third term ijjat (prestige) is more important to justify an individual's personality and evaluate the respect in the community.
Several KIs across the districts reported that many women do not tell their gynaecological problems to their husbands and in-laws due to laj. As a result many cases turn into serious sickness and prove to be fatal (Case 1).
No comments:
Post a Comment