Rice planting: women from mid hills of Nepal planting rice.
Nepal is the poorest country in Asia and the 14th poorest in the world. In addition, the poverty of some excluded ethnic groups in Nepal is almost double the national average.
The country has undergone great political and social change. In November 2006, a deal was struck between the government and the Maoists ending ten years of civil war during which 13,000 people were killed. Following constituent assembly elections in April 2008, in which the Maoists won the largest number of seats, the monarchy was abolished. The situation in Nepal remains fragile.