Women participation in foreign service of Nepal: A feminist perspective

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to analyze the Women Participation in Foreign Service of Nepal from feminist perspective. The study is guided by the general objective of examining Women Participation in Foreign Service of Nepal while the specific objectives are to determine the factor that hinders women participation in the Foreign Service and to identify measures that can be put into place to encourage women participation in Foreign Service. The research was carried out in Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, departments operating under ministry and the missions abroad. This study was concerned about how women diplomats experience their profession to unearth professional challenges. The result of the study shows that the number of male employees outweighs female employees. Among other, the notable factor that contributed to gender inequality in the Foreign Service is too much concentration on feminized roles in the society and patriarch nature of the society. The study also found that Nepalese diplomatic workforce doesn’t experience gender inequality (neglecting number) in their work place. The study concludes that the diplomatic sector ought to come up training and development programs for gender representation in work place at all levels. It is very overwhelming for Nepal to come up with Feminist Foreign Policy for gendering of the institutions so that women can achieve their full potential. Key Words: Women Participation, Foreign Service, Gender, Feminism