Urbanization and Women; A study in Tarkeshwor municipality

Abstract

Kathmandu is the mostly urbanized area of Nepal. Tarakeshwor Municipality is one of the municipalities of Kathmandu district. Kathmandu Valley has been rapidly urbanizing since the 1980s. Due to the urbanization pressure, the valley has been facing serious environmental consequences, developmental consequences, and livelihood consequences in recent years. The geographical impact of urbanization in this area, Kathmandu district has lost 9.28 percent of its forests, 9.80 percent of its agricultural land and 77 percent of its water bodies. Urban areas in Kathmandu in the last three decades have expanded by 4.12 times. Urbanization refers to the population shift from rural to urban residency. Urbanization can benefit women by providing access of better services and greater economic, social, and political opportunities. But women are not safe and being comfort from insecurities, inequities and tremendous challenges. In Tarakeshwor, there are various changes in socio-economic status of women. Sophisticated lifestyle, educational performance and economic activities of women are generally higher than that of rural areas. It has been marked as positive impacts that change in family structure, change in domestic relations, increase political participation, increased property rights, decreased caste and class-based discrimination, raised decision making capacity, decreased fertility, improved maternal health in the study area. Likewise, it has been marked as negative impacts that unemployment, job insecurities, burden child care practices, impaired personal feeling, gender inequalities, genderbased violence, loneliness, and various health hazards.

The purpose of this study is to describe the urbanization characteristics, factors of urbanization and impacts on women in relation to urbanization. As the characteristics of urbanization, Tarakeshwor municipality has gained 22.42 percent urbanized land whereas Kathmandu has gained 52.47 percent urbanized land. In this municipality about 4.04 family members have been lived in each household. There are 76 percent nuclear family and 24 percent joint family. Nuclear family increased in urbanization. The factors of the urbanization of this area are demographic change, technological change, transportation facilities. And mostly induce policy of the government is the factor that has played a significant role in the urbanization process of this area.