Participation and Decision Making Roles of Women Shareholders in Co-operatives of Dhikurpokhari VDC, Kaski

Abstract

This study has mainly concentrated to the participation and decision making roles of women shareholders in co-operatives in the Dhikurpokhari VDC, Kaski. It deals with the women participation in co-operatives and their decision making roles on cooperative management and the challenges faced by the female at their working place.

It

has dealt with numerous research questions, based on socio-economic condition, gender and opportunity, the relationship between culture and masculinity practices, the roles played by the women, access and decision making for communal participation, major source of income, decision for household resource mobilization and responsibility and authority of the female. To find out the answer of those research questions, the research has been adopted observation, interview, and focus group discussions as a part of techniques of sociological research so as to collect data. However, the primary data were played a dominant role into drawing a valid conclusion. Some relevant and useful secondary data were also incorporated. Women are conspicuously under-represented in decision making, implementing decisions, attending general meeting, involvement in share purchasing and leadership. The survey result showed that the majority of the respondents were not aware of the rules, the by-laws, principles, values, rights and obligation of members and how income is distributed. Lack of awareness, culture, lack of access to information, work load in the house, lack of education, lack of capital, the negative attitude of the society towards women were the most important factors contributing to the inactive participation of women in cooperatives in the study area. Therefore, cooperatives should focus on creating awareness, educating women, increasing training access to women and educating the society to bring attitudinal change on gender issue.