Gender roles in commercialized farming in Lalitpur district of Nepal : a case study of Tikathali Village Development Committee | |
| Author | Singh, Jelina |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GD-02-14 |
| Subject(s) | Sex role in the work environment--Nepal Agriculture--Economic aspects--Nepal |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. GD-02-14 |
| Abstract | This research analyzes the impact of commercial Cash crop farming on the gender roles and relations by comparing the participation of male and female farmers in the household works, agricultural activities, and decision-makings taking case studies of ward no 1 and 2 of Tikathali Village Development Committee (VDC), Lalitpur, Nepal. The research also includes the assessment and comparison of income and expenditures of cash crop farming and subsistence farming households. Finally it comes out with recommendations to improve working conditions and decision making of women farmers. The analysis is based on data collected from 80 households (44.4% of farmers' population). Out of the total randomly sampled households 28 were practicing Cash crop farming and 52 were practicing Subsistence farming. Data were analyzed using relevant statistical test. In the production of Subsistence and Cash crop both men and women has played a complementary roles in productive and reproductive activities. Responding with expanding market opportunity they have adopted few of the modem technology along with local seeds, which has intensified vegetable farming practices than before especially in Cash crop households. At the same time it has generated extra load to women and men working hours so sharing of task was quiet visible ib the activities among men and women. Women worked more in hours in almost all the activities than men in both types of households. The average working hours of women in both households were 12.7 hours however men had 6.2 hours/day for Subsistence farming households and 7.0 Hours/day for Cash crop farming households. This reveals that, while the working status of women in Subsistence farming intensified as men contributed lesser where as in Cash crop faiming men participated little more and their working hours increased because the earning profit motivated men and encouraged them to participate in all the activities decreasing over load of women to some degree in Cash crop households. The data also showed that men in cash crop households were involved more in household task than men in the Subsistence. Nevertheless, in every step women were grinding themselves with work pressure but even then, they got less chance to participate in decisionmaking process, especially on those activities where the main source of money income was visible. From analyzing all facts and figures it can be concluded that the over all production may have increased household's income but not necessarily improve women's status in decision-making. Moreover, major income of study sites was from foreign earnings of male partners and attraction on it is increasing day by day as this process has fm1her accelerated by the dete1iorating conditions of the country. So if this practice gets continuity the women workload on all activities will be compounded. The decision making process of women cannot be changed without transforming the existing legal process, for this government must intervene. Women needs to educate in order to increase there participation in decision making activities through local women s' group or NGOs. Literacy and awareness programs should initialize for the women because without empowering and realizing their own contribution they would be less valued. The program should provide appropriate place and timing for women so that maximum can participate in their limited time. Women's work load need to be replaced by transfening part of their work to men. Time use survey is very useful in highlighting women's unaccounted work so likewise another new methodology should be developed to measure intensity of work. |
| Year | 2002 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. GD-02-14 |
| 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) | Earth, Barbara;Yakupitiyage, Amararatne; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | NORAD;Asian Institute of Technology; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2002 |