Women in Nepal are generally less well educated, with lower literacy rates, especially in the countryside. They tend to have higher mortality rates, with the maternal death rate being if not the highest, one of the highest in the world.

The average literacy rate in Nepal is about 49% but for girls this is about 35%. There is a big difference between town and country, where in some remote areas, average literacy can be as low as 8-9%.

Nepal has a strong patriarchal society, although in some of the mountain communities like Sherpas, women have more say in domestic matters. Nepal is predominantly rural with over 80% of the population engaged in agriculture. Over 10% of working age men are reported to be working abroad, which in many communities means that the women, children and elderly are left to manage the land.