Understanding Women’s Role and Empowerment Status in Farm Landscape of Gauradaha Municipality of Jhapa District, Nepal

Abstract

Background and Aims: Women constitute 51.12% of the population of Nepal and are actively involved in agricultural activities; however, their contributions are often overlooked, which impedes their potential for development. Place and Duration of Study: Considering this fact, a survey was conducted to determine the role and empowerment status of women in the farm landscape of the Gauradaha municipality in the Jhapa district. This study was carried out in 150 households from three wards (wards no. 1, 2, and 3) of Gauradaha Municipality of Jhapa district. Methodology: A total of 150 households (50 households from each ward) were selected through a random sampling method for data collection. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews by using a mobile application, ‘mWater Surveyor’. Results: Our study revealed that the majority of women (73.34%) were literate, and 50.67% of women had access to financial services. However, only 12.67% of women had received training related to agriculture and 64% of women did not participate in agricultural organizations. The findings showed that 30.67% and 36% of the women were involved in the decision-making of crop and livestock production, respectively. Overall, the involvement of women in various farm activities was satisfactory, with 34.25% of women being solely involved in these activities. Additionally, 20.66% of women made more contributions to agricultural work than did men, and 36.67% shared equal contributions with men in agriculture, particularly when agriculture was their main occupation. For men, 49.33% of women had equal roles in decision-making, while 8% of women had a greater contribution in decision-making than men in agricultural work. Legal recognition of land was higher among literate women than among illiterate women. Women’s access to nutritious foods has improved with an increase in education level. Of the 10 groups of nutritional foods, only 4.67% had access to them. Conclusion: Our study concludes that women should be empowered in farm activities through training, mentorship, and other opportunities to sustain and enhance agricultural development.