Gendered impacts of plantation employment : a comparative analysis of two villages in Khammouane Province, Lao PDR | |
| Author | Kimijima, Satomi |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GD-09-12 |
| Subject(s) | Rural women--Economic aspects--Laos Wages--Women--Laos |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the re quirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Gender and Development Studies, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. GD-09-12 |
| Abstract | Since women’s empowerment is considered one on the significant factor for development, this study explores the women’s empowerment through plantation employment. The aim of this study is to describe the gender composition lo cally created employment by Oji Lao Plantation Forest Co., Ltd. (LPFL). It briefly exam ines the changes in socio-economic status of women, particularly mobility development, women and men in Nongboua village and Hath yai village with special reference to empl oyment and its effect to women’s empowerment. It explores how non-farm wage employme nt by the company influenced the gender relation at household level in Nongboua vill age. The study is based mainly on primary data supported by secondary information fro m international organizations and national and local level government in Lao PDR. Thi s study purposively selected a study village named Nongboua village showing employment c reation from plantation project, and randomly selected other village named Hath yai village, in order to compare the changes in socio-economic condition due to non-farm based employment creation. Quantitative data was collected through household s urvey with questionnaire and qualitative data was also collected through key inf ormant interview with check list, field observation, and focus group discussions (FGDs) wit h the employees and local farmers. Identified gender relation in rural area of Lao PDR is based on the concept of “gendered division of labor” traditionally practiced, where p roductive and reproductive spaces are totally separated by sex. However, employment creat ion at plantation project by LPFL has involved women’s participation who used to work onl y reproductive sector. Most of sector showed 50 percent of women’s engagement of total em ployee and especially nursery tree plantation sector indicated 80 percent of women’s e ngagement, therefore, women’s active participation into productive activities are restri cting traditionally attached norms on gendered division of labour. Regarding to gendered impacts between men and women, plantation employment have economically and sociall y benefited localities. Furthermore, economically empowered women showed stronger relati onship relative to the level of social empowerment to men in terms of increase in m obility patterns and development of social status within/nearby community. These econom ical empowerments of locality additionally empowered them socially by forming alt ernative power relation within household. Particularly, women’s changes as product ive worker contributed greater share to household income and broader development in deci sion-making. However, those women’s empowerment are not always explained by inc rease in household income, but increase in mobility among women also became a sign ificant factor, which develop women’s capacity and household strategies through i nteraction with localities from different villages and additionally empowered women in Nongboua village. The findings of this study conclude with two important points. F irstly, the women’s wage level in the study area is higher than the urban wage of the wom en, which is not the case in many other non-farm wages by income. The second finding is tha t the working conditions provided co-exist of other farming activities the nearby villages. |
| Year | 2009 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. GD-09-12 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Gender and Development Studies (GD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Kusakabe, Kyoko; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Routray, Jayant Kumar;Philippe Doney;Hanaoka, Shinya; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Iizuka Takeshi Scholarship Foundation;AIT Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2009 |