Kathmandu, Aug. 9 -- At 29, Reema Bhusal (name changed) finds herself answering a question she never imagined would become hers: What if she never married?

Marriage is considered a key milestone for women, something that makes or breaks a woman's life. In Nepal, strong social value is attached to ramro keta sanga bihe (marriage to a good man). Without it, society often questions a woman's status, her worth. Marriage is treated as the ultimate marker of stability, respectability and adulthood.

Yet beneath this tradition, a quiet rethinking is taking place. More women are questioning whether marriage is a necessity or simply a social expectation. While the number of women choosing to remain unmarried is still small, rising education, empl...