Nepal is a country which ranks 127th on the Human Development Index. It is also a country in which 42 percent of the population is living below the poverty line and where the unemployment rate is 15.4 percent. Nepal is known by bio-and socio-cultural diversity. The socio-cultural diversity has been manifested in terms of racial/caste-ethnic, linguistic, religious cultural, gender and regional diversities. Discrimination based on caste, race, ethnicity, gender and geographical region is prevalent and has compromised the rights of many groups, particularly rurally-based, so-called low caste communities. The so-called Dalit community is one group that has been particularly marginalized from mainstream development, consequently experiencing even greater levels of poverty and discrimination.

Gender is also a very significant aspect in the Nepalese society and it has been dominated by patriarchy supported by Hindu religion and culture. The egalitarian social structure of many indigenous nationalities has been affected by caste hierarchy and the concept of purity and pollution due to the intensive process of Hinduization and Sanskritization (or internal colonization). In this context, community development requires a multi-faceted approach that empowers individuals and groups, particularly marginalized communities, to work towards social justice within their own communities, for the continued development and growth of the nation as a whole.