Impacts of Armed Conflicts on Women in Nepal BABITA HAMAL The Background

The armed conflict between the Maoists and the government in Nepal started in 1996. After the newly-introduced democratic politics had failed to meet the hopes of many citizens, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) officially launched its ‘people’s war ’ against the constitutional monarchy in February 1996. Since then, the intensity of this violent in-surgency is gaining momentum day by day, and has left more than 13,000 people dead. Many women, men and innocent children have lost their lives. The impact of the conflict has been felt on various sectors such as agriculture, trade and commerce, education, besides everyday casualties. It has affected socio-economic, cultural, religious and the general life of the people, including the work of NGOs and INGOs tremendously. This Maoist insurgency has had many adverse effects on the overall development of Nepal. Infrastructure—schools (both private and public), health posts, offices of the government and industries—have collapsed. Incidents of violence, such as indiscriminate killings, cross firing and ambushing are growing. There is an increasing trend of migration to dis-trict headquarters and urban centers, particularly Kathmandu (the capital