Oscillating Identity of Nepalese Women : A Political Discourse Presented at Maseno University, Kisumu, Kenya By Meena Gurung (Thapa) PhD Student T. U. Nepal 7- 8 th Dec. 2015

Village traditional tap

About the paper: Context I.The paper argues the real political 'equality' is relational ( myriad of nuances Equality does not occur in isolation unless situated action and meanings of knowledge are ignored in society or group of community. Ontology, incidentally, is that branch of metaphysics which deal with the nature and essence of thinks or of existence ….knowledge that essentially has come to women is mediated through male experiences ( Padia 2011 page 43) I.Data: Personal narrations and readily available data from the field such as most of my interlocutors said we are samajik [social] rather political Iii Aim of the Paper: To explore the situation of women in power relation and women’s experience ( how do they see them selves) Iv Purpose is to highlights the segments or fragmentation of reality however it is not that easy to account V Methodology and paradigm: Qualitative and post structural

Why women to be studied? Still dearth since they were excluded from political arena… ? Agoraphobia due to their on going pathology of being women ( Jacobson Kristen 2011)

Problem Statement: Formal politics is still male dominated Despite voting at election, campaigning in election and participating in crisis and different freedom movements only few women are representing in political process Electronic process: Major Barrier and opportunity Destiny of women is household (still social customs are valuable)

Many research conducted by international forum concluded there are different forms of political behavior and all are important in respect to person or group of people etc. Such as male and female have different form of political interest in turns different behavior (EU). In compare to male women have less political interest. However, research also suggests that women’s political interests are qualitatively different to men’s(EU 2013).

Question of epistemology and ontology: Ambivalence and fragmented: As Stuart Hall notes: ''... identities are being 'de-centered' ; that is dislocated or fragmented in its simpler forms, neglected'' (S. Hall p ) To explore further the concept of social men and women Hall further says, sociological subject reflected the growing complexity of the modern world and the awareness that this inner core of the subject was not autonomous and self sufficient, but was formed in relation to the 'significant others', who meditated to the subject the values, meanings and symbols - the culture - of the worlds he/she inhabited.

Findings and Analysis We are ‘Samajik’ meaning social since we have to drink water from same source ( rural or …local) ‘Kurchi’ meaning power representation… ‘central’ Sitting at home but we have no free time: Ghardhanda (house work)‘women’ We are yet not accepted as a leader women representatives Baithak ( Meeting) as social dynamic Voting in election

Conclusion Oscillating identity What is next ? However, I would like to conclude with the …. Revolution at Point Zero: household and reproduction should be considered since the enormous paid and unpaid domestic work done by women is what keeps the world moving( Silvia Federici 2011)