Status of Women in Nepal: A Sociological Analysis of Rural VDCs of Mugu District

Abstract

As in many South Asian countries, Nepal's entrenched religious and cultural practices give preference to boys and man. Many Hindu rituals institutionalized the denigration of women, and systematically undermine their self worth. Women are facing multiple oppressions in terms of class, ethnicity and nationality. A large number of rural women are dying in the process of giving birth to baby, which can be seen by the large number (539 per 100,000 live births and ranks among the highest in the world according to HDR 2004) of maternal mortality rate. Women are not equal to men under the law, and they are economically and socially dependent on fathers and husbands, Girls from all castes are raised with less food, education and health care as compared their brothers. They are not heartily welcomed at birth, and destine through marriage to become the possession of others. Nepal is one of the few countries in the world where women's lifespan is shorter than men. Women are working very hard and are engaged more time than men. Even though the status of women is always lower than that of male counterpart. They have more contribution in household activities in comparison to males. They have to bear extra burden so that quality of life is in vulnerable condition. In the household decision making process female members are also less involved in comparison to male members. In spite of all these things, women of any family have very high responsibility towards the family. They have to take care of the children and older members, make food for them, take care of cattle, support male members in agriculture, actively participate in the socio- cultural functions etc. But all these activities are not so noticeable and they are always in the shadows of the income generating activities.

Keeping in mind, the above mentioned situation, two VDC's of Mugu district, Shreenagar and Rowa were selected for the study of the status of rural women. The study has been based on primary data collected from Shreenagar and Rowa VDC's of Mugu. For this purpose 54 households were selected randomly. The general objective of the study was to analyze the status of rural women and the specific objectives were to analyze the women’s responsibilities in household activities, to explore the economic role of women in income generating, to explore the involvement of women in community works, to analyze the situation of rural women in decision making and to analyze the situation of rural women in decision making.

The primary information has been collected through interview, observation, key informant interview and focus group discussion. The questionnaire have been constructed as closed and open ended types and administered in Nepali language. Basically the primary data has been used in this study; however, secondary information has also been used to fulfill the objectives of the study.

The study found that women have more contribution in household activities in comparison to men. They have great responsibilities in household activities like preparing food (100%), fuel wood collection (47.07%), water collection (96.29%), taking care of children and elderly people of family (88.88%), cutting and carrying grass for livestock (85.18%) and grinding food grains, pounding grains (75.92%) etc. Male members have very nominal roles and responsibility in these issues. Both male and female are practicing income generating activities such as labour work, weaving radi pakhi and baskets, animal husbandry, poultry farm, selling milk, vegetables, fruits, firewood, collecting Yarshagumba, mushrooms and other herbs, tea shop and sewing clothes etc. Participation of female in different CBOs, GOs, NGOs, and other organization is hopeless however some female members can be seen but it is only due to the govt. policy. In decision making process at household level, major decisions in family like, decision about land selling, purchasing, children's education, getting health services, general marketing of daily foodstuffs, marketing of expensive things family planning and number of children are taken by male members either husband or father in law. Only in the case of daily necessary food preparation and crushing, grinding food grains female members of the family have major role.

It is concluded that the responsibility of rural women in different household activities is higher with maximum working load comparatively with her male counterpart. Similarly, women have great contribution in income generating activities. Women are working very hard and more time than man. Even though the status of women is lower than that of male counterpart.