🧠Constrained Human Capital

The backlash against girls’ higher education in Nepal is directly and critically linked to Nepal’s ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

Failing to ensure girls’ progression to higher education after Grade 12 undermines the country’s efforts to create a prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future, creating a ripple effect across multiple development sectors.

🎯 Direct Impact on Core SDGs

The backlash—driven by pressures for early marriage, economic prioritization of sons, and gender norms—is a major impediment to achieving the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

🌊 Ripple Effect Across Other SDGs

The denial of higher education to half of the population severely limits Nepal’s progress on several interconnected goals:

1. Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction (SDG 1 & SDG 8)

• Reduced Lifetime Earnings: A girl who completes a university degree sees a dramatic increase in her lifetime earnings (averaging 15–25% higher for an extra year of secondary school). Limiting this attainment reduces women’s ability to move their families out of poverty.
• Stunted National Growth: By excluding talented women from professional roles, especially in technical fields like Engineering or IT (where female enrollment is notably low), Nepal faces a skills gap and a slower national growth rate. Educated women are essential for creating an inclusive and competitive workforce.

2. Health and Well-being (SDG 3)

• Improved Health Outcomes: Highly educated women are better informed about health, nutrition, and sanitation. They are more likely to:
  • Delay childbearing.
  • Ensure better nutrition for their children (reducing stunting).
  • Seek and utilize essential antenatal and maternal health services, thereby reducing maternal and child mortality.

3. Reduced Inequality (SDG 10)

• Caste and Geographic Disparity: The backlash is most severe for girls from marginalized groups (Dalits, Indigenous groups) and those in remote, impoverished areas of the Karnali or Madhesh provinces. The inability to pursue higher education disproportionately entrenches existing socio-economic and caste-based inequalities, making Nepal’s development non-inclusive.

4. Institutions and Climate Action (SDG 13 & SDG 16)

• Lack of Female Leadership: A scarcity of educated women restricts female participation in decision-making roles, governance, and politics (SDG 16). Without women’s voices in leadership, policies often fail to adequately address gendered vulnerabilities related to climate change (SDG 13) and disaster risk reduction.

In essence, the societal backlash against higher education for girls is not just a social issue; it is a major constraint on human capital formation and a strategic failure to utilize 50% of the country’s potential, thereby significantly hindering the achievement of the entire Sustainable Development Agenda in Nepal.