Gendered Impact of Male Out-migration.....

Gendered Impact of Male Out-migration on Rural Households: A short review of literature

Hom Nath Gartaula

Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University

The Netherlands

This paper tries to examine some literatures in relation to the male out-migration and its subsequent impact on gender relation at household and the community level in the migrants’ place of origin. It is obvious that male out-migration has a significant impact on rural households particularly where agriculture is the mainstay of living. The influences may be either positive or negative. The important changes because of male out-migration can be considered as the remittances sent by the migrants, the potential labour crisis in agricultural activities, changing gender relationships and ambiguous power position of women within the household and wider community. However, limited studies have been carried out in this respect. In this review of literature, it is revealed that there are two views regarding the gendered impact of male out-migration on rural households. One view shows a positive impact to women while others claim that this is just an illusion. Being household head or take some operational decisions for the time being does not necessarily overcome the subordination of women particularly in patriarchal society. It is hard to be convinced that male out-migration results an increase in women’s fall-back position and thereby increased bargaining power and increased stake in decision making. Keeping in mind that the review is not an exhaustive one it needs more elaborative study to come up with the final conclusion. However, a preliminary conclusion can be drawn that uunless she has her own strong position within and outside the household, some operational undertakings would not be adequate enough to improve her status.

Published by "The Thesis Abstracts Online" in 2010

This is copyright protected material

Available online at: http://www.thesisabstracts.com/ThesisAbstract_323_Gendered-Impact-of-Male-Out-migration-in-Rural-Households-A-short-review-of-literature.html

Citation:

Gartaula, H.N. (2007). Gendered Impact of Male Out-migration on Rural Households: A short review of literature. Submitted to Sociology of Consumers and Households, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, The Netherlands

Feminisation of agriculture in Nepal

Feminisation of agriculture as an effect of male out-migration: Unexpected outcomes from Jhapa district, eastern Nepal

Paper published in "The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Vol. 5, No. 2"

Authors: Hom Nath Gartaula, Anke Niehof and Leontine Visser

Abstract:

In Nepal, male out-migration is an important factor to contribute to GDP through regular remittances. This paper looks at the effects of male out-migration on the women left behind in relation to labour participation and decision-making in agriculture. The literature speaks of feminisation of agriculture as a positive development for women’s empowerment. A distinction is made between labour feminisation and managerial feminisation. As the two concepts indeed refer to two different roles, power positions and managerial practices, the paper separately explores these practices and actors involved. Data were collected for a doctoral study in Jhapa District, Eastern Nepal; a lowland area from where much male out-migration is taking place. The study shows a higher level of feminisation in a situation where de-facto autonomous female heads-of-household are decision makers and less in case of women who stay within the patrilineal household of their parents-in-law. Moreover, feminisation in the first case has the unexpected outcome that women seem to be moving away from agriculture. An interdisciplinary approach using anthropological in-depth interviews and demographic survey data shows that a concept like feminisation of agriculture needs to be considered and understood in the wider social and cultural context of an expanding rural space.

For the complete article, please visit: http://iji.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.88/prod.1029

This material is copyright protected.

Migration and objective change

Migration brings ideology, culture and skills and practices that there are various forms of remittances ranging from social, economic to cultural and political remittances. However, I am not sure, how it brings changes in the subjective experience of the people involved but it brings changes at least in economic and objective sense. And I do not agree that it dilutes the migrating community. I think it should be seen under the framework of globalization where time and space matters. There is nothing static in this world so there is no any society which would be diluted by migration. Migration brings changes but it depends upon response and resilience of the local people. So I think, there is no dilution but it is the change that has been taking place by migration. And change always comes through the friction/fusion of ideas; contestation of ideas gives rise to the emergence of 'new' knowledge which of course not a pollution or dilution.
I would be happy to discuss more on the issues of migration, labour migration, left-behind and their livelihood and wellbeing.

Carrying Load in rural Nepal, Carrying of Paddy on Cart

Carrying Load in rural Nepal, Head Carrying of Paddy

We can improve agriculture sector in Nepal: tips for IAASAA conference 2010

In the IAASAA listserve I found an interesting thought on the family background and the intended education. The context was the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science Alumni Association (IAASAA)'s forthcoming conference going to be held in Rampur, Chitwan Nepal. By reading those two emails in this thread I would also like to take part in the discussion. However, I am not going to give another SAD story because I don't think that it is the matter of family background. It is rather, I think, due to an individual's interest, if not due to the flaws in curriculum. Very good overview of students' family background as well as the urban rural divide. However, I would like to make some comments in these thoughts;
1. I don't think that it is necessary to have a family background in farming to study agriculture because if that happens is it possible to have admission in MBBS only from the doctors' families? What about engineers and so on? Who is going to study forestry? Who is going to study the molecular genetics and space engineering? Or whatever, you see!! Don't you think that it is going to be a big mess if we think like this. I rather think that it is the matter of interest of an individual (student) and his person goal in life, which sector s/he would like to follow in life. That counts rather than his background because that is where the education comes. If one has not seen a potato plant before the curriculum has to be so developed that s/he would able to understand what it is.
2. Another important thing is a kind of targeting failure. Trying to pose as if a person of the similar background would help to enhance the sector after study. Alright! Very commendable! That is fine if happened so but can we be honest? How many of us from farming background are working back on our own community? I can bet if 5% does so.

I would like to raise some points for discussion in the IAASAA convention/conference:
1. How to make IAAS free (at least minimize the effect) from politics?
2. Coordinated actions among the government apparatus on education, research and extension. Nothing an alone brihaspati can do; networking and coordinated action. Nothing for junga ko ladain but needs a collective action if to change in this sector.
3. How do we handle the issues of climate change and food security in a situation of growing food demand?

4. How to regain the labor force back in agriculture from a situation of rapidly increasing labor out-migration. Can we ever think of becoming a labor importing country? Exporting labor is doing something for others but not for us.

I wish a pleasant, joyful and fruitful conference.

Thanks.

Hom