Rising number of single women threatens Raute population

Alcohol abuse and rigid social taboos leave young women widowed, further shrinking the endangered nomadic community.

The Raute community, endangerd nomadic tribe in Nepal, is facing an existential crisis as the number of single women in the settlement continues to rise. Data since 2018 show that 17 women have become single—many at a very young age—due to a combination of widespread alcohol abuse among men and restrictive traditional customs.