Tourism and gender: Roles and status of women A case study of Ghandruk village, Kaski

Abstract

This thesis is prepared to partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Master’s Degree of Arts in Rural Development. This study will help to determine the role and status of women in tourism sector especially in rural areas. It provides basic information and general guidelines to the local people, planner, policy maker and other concerned agencies. The objective of this study is to identify the status and living standard of women involving in tourism sector and to assess the role and challenging faced by the women. Basically this study depends upon the research design and primary data collection from the field study. The field study tool was house hold survey and key informant interview. This study concerned with the role and status of women of the Ghandruk village who are involved in the tourism sector. Among the 30 hotels and home stays the respondents were women from 15 hotels and home stay and selected randomly. Key informant interviews were taken from stake holder of tourism and society such as chair man of Hotel Association, chair man of ACAP, chair man of mother group and chair man of home stay. In the study area it is found that most of the women are involving in tourism business. The smokeless tourism business contributed woman’s financial and living standard. Women are actively participated each and every activity related with tourism plan and financial decision making process. Most of the young villagers are migrate for study and job opportunities, although women are playing significant role to preserve their cultural identity. Women in Ghandrruk are actively working in others sectors also, they are involving in social activities, agricultural activities and many more activities. Even though this study focuses on the role and responsibilities of women for tourism sector of the Ghandruk, women are ahead in every step of the society. This study has presented the role of women in enhancing and promoting the rural tourism of Nepal. So that women are the main stakeholder of rural tourism in the context of Nepal.