ROLE OF WOMEN IN HOUSEHOLD DECISION MAKING IN THARU COMMUNITY (Case study of of )

By Narayan Khadka T.U. Regd. No.: 9-2-13-2170-2009 Exam Symbol No.: 4350006 / 2073

A Thesis Submitted to Faculty of humanity & social science Sociology Department in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master's Degree in Sociology

Faculty of Humanities & social science R.R.T.J.M Campus Asanpur Golbazar , Siraha 2018

i Affiliated by Tribhuvan University Shree Rampratap Ramparasad Tamang Janta Multiple Campus Asanpur – 6 Golbazar (Siraha) Estd-2059 033-540013

Ref No: Date:-

Letter of Recommendation

This is to certify that the dissertation entitled Role of Women in Household Decision Making in Tharu Community (A Case study of Triyuga Municipality of Udayapur District) is prepared by Narayan Khadka under my supervision. He has collected the primary data for this purpose in Tharu communities and completed successfully the requirement for dissertation in Master of Arts in Sociology.I recommend this dissertation for final evaluation and acceptance.

------Ishwar Shyangwa Supervisor R.R.T.J.M Campus Golbazar , Siraha

Date:2075/9/15 30 Dec 2018

i Affiliated by Tribhuvan University Shree Rampratap Ramparasad Tamang Janta Multiple Campus Asanpur – 6 Golbazar (Siraha) Estd-2059 033-540013

Approval Letter

This dissertation entitled Role of Women in Household Decision Making in Tharu Community (A Case study of Triyuga Municipality of Udayapur District) by Narayan Khadka has been submitted to the Department of Sociology. The undersigned members of the thesis committee have approved it.

Evaluation Committee 1. Mr. Kishor Kumar Sah R.R.T.J.M. Campus Golbazar Campus Chief/ Chairman

2. Ishwar Shyangwa Department of Sociology R.R.T.J.M. Campus Golbazar Supervisor

3. Dr. Sushil Kumar Yadav R.R. Multiple Campus, Janakpur External

Date: 2075-10-06 20th Jan.2019

i Acknowledgements

I am grateful to my respectable Campus Chief Mr Kishor Kumar Sah who shared his limited time to provide constructive comments and guidance to carry out this research work.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Ishwar Shyangwa, letcturer for his guidance and suggestion. I am also grateful to all my respected teachers and all the library staffs for their suggestions and providing the necessary materials. I would like to appreciate to different organization, institution like as R.R.T.J.M campus and individuals who helped me in this matter.

I would like to thank with deep and respect to my parents for their warm affection, inspiration and encouragement. I am grateful to Municipality Chairperson and all respondents and informants of the study area for their kind co-operation.

Narayan Khadka 2018

i ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to find out the Role of women in household decision making in Tharu community. The case study of word No 2 Triyuga Municipality of Udayapur district. The total population was 2550 Word No. 2 Triyuga Manicipality. The target population was 106 Tharu communities. It was selected through simple random sampling. Data was collected by using interview and observation.

The specific objectives of the study area are the following: 1. To describe the situation of Tharu women involved in agriculture and income generation activities in the study area. 2. To explore the role of Tharu women in household decision making in economic, health, political, agriculture and education sector.

This study is based on analytical and descriptive research design. Both Primary and Secondary data were used for this study. Primary data have been collected from the field and necessary secondary data are gathered from various resources i.e. from CBS records, different published and unpublished articles, literatures, journals and books.

It can also conclude that females have low socio-economic status and thus lag behind men in household decision making. So it is essential to improve their ability and capacity to participate major the decision making process. This study shows that female have to work more in household having less decision making.

Therefore, it can be concluded that most of women i.e. 71.42 percent were involved in mothers' groups. According to the 10 % respondents went to the non formal schooling , 40% respondents went to the primary level, 20% respondents went to the Lower Secondary level, 20% respondents went to Secondary, 10% respondents went to the S.E.E level, 5% respondents went to the intermediate and 5% respondents went to the Bachelor level. According to the 37.5 percent of respondents of women took decision themselves regarding the marriage of their children. Near above 45 percent of their husband decided on marriage of children. And 17.5 percent of both husband and wife decided in marriage of children. In the study area two types of family, nuclear and extended were found.

i Among the 50 families nuclear was found in 13 households and extended family was in 37 households.

Out of 50 household of the Tharus 20 households were agriculture and 10 household was business and 10 household was service and 5 household was housework and 5 household was other service to fulfill their needs.

Main source of livelihood of all the 50 household was agriculture while 3 household had service and 3 household had business, 10 households had livestock farming, 16 household had wage earning and 3 household had debt service to fulfill their needs. The majority of the respondents depend on agriculture (62%) and 32% respondents were household work.

In getting medical treatment, almost women (30%) were getting treatment from health post and then government hospital 20% and then Guruwa 20% for getting treatment only few, 20% were getting treatment in private clinic and 10% were getting treatment in nursing homes.

A large majority of 90 percent respondents were found to send their children to go to school and the decision of the wives in sending their children to school were found to be the strongest,60 percent among 50 households.

Out of 80 percent of the women were directly involved in voting, remaining 20 percent were not involved in voting because of their low age and other factors. It shows that out of 50 respondents 60 percent of women were self decide in voting and 10 percent of women were depended upon the decision of other family members and 30 percent of women were encouraged by other people in voting. Out of 50 respondents only 20 percent of women were participated in political programme and remaining 80 percent of women were not participated in political programme.

i LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

BPFA : Beijing Platform for Action BS : Bikram Sambat CBS : Central Bureau of Statistics CDSA : Central Department of Sociology / Anthropology CEDA : Centre for Economic Development and Administration CEDAW : Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women DDC : District Development Committee GAD : Gender and Development GON : Government of INGOs : International Non-Governmental Organization NPC : National Planning Commission NGO : Non Governmental Organization STD : Sexually Transmitted Disease TU : Tribhuvan University UN : United Nations UNDP : United Nations Development Programme UNESCO : United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF : United Nation's Children Fund USA : United States of America VDC : Village Development Committee WAD : Women And Development

i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. TITLE PAGE I LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION II APPROVAL LETTER III ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV ABSTRACT V LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS VII TABLE OF CONTENTS VIII LIST OF TABLE X CHAPTER - I: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background of the Study 1-5 1.2 Statement of the Problem 5-6 1.3 Objectives of the Study 7 1.4 Importance of the Study 7 1.5 Organization of the study 7 1.6 Conceptual Framework 8 1.7 Limitation of the study 9 CHAPTER - II: LITERATURE REVIEW 10 2.1 General Overview 10-11 2.2 National and International Context 11-26 2.3 Theoritical frame work 26 CHAPTER - III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 27 3.1 Rationale for the Selection of Study Area 27 3.2 Research Design 27 3.3 Source and Nature of Data 27 3.4 Universe and Sampling 28 3.5 Method’s of Data Collection 28 3.5.1 Semi-structured Interview 28 3.5.2 Observation 28 3.6 Data Analysis and Interpretations 28 CHAPTER - IV: THE PEOPLE AND STUDY AREA 29 4.1 Udayapur District: An Overview 29-30 4.2 Udayapur : A Brief Introduction 30-31

i 4.3 The Tharus of Triyuga Municipality 31 4.3.1 History 31-32 4.3.2 Language 33 4.3.3 Family 33 4.3.4 Dress 33 4.3.5 Ornaments 34 4.3.6 Feeding 34 4.3.7 Occupation 34-35 4.3.8 Religion and Festivals 35-36 4.3.9 Lifecycle Rites 36-38 CHAPTER - V: SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION AND DECISION MAKING 39 5.1 Socio-economic status of Tharu women 39 5.2 Role of decision making 39 5.2.1 Marital Status 39 5.2.2 Educational Status 40 5.2.3 Education of Respondent's Husbands 41 5.2.4 Occupation of respondents 41 5.2.5 Occupation of respondents' husbands 42 5.2.6 Family Structure 42 5.2.7 Age and Sex composition of Sample Household 43 5.3 Social Characteristics 43-45 5.4 Economic Characteristic 45-46 5.4.1 Landholding situation 46-48 5.4.2 Sufficiency of Food Production 48-49 5.5 Health Characteristics 49-50 5.6 Educational Characteristics 50-53 5.7 Information about Women's Training 53-54 5.8 Political Characteristics 54-56 CHAPTER - VI: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 57 6.1 Summary 57-60 6.2 Conclusion 60 6.3 Recommendations 60 6.3.1 Recommendations for further research 61 References Appendix

i LIST OF TABLES Table No. 1 Distribution of Respondents by literacy status 40 Table No. 2 Distribution of Respondents by their occupation 41 Table No. 3 Distribution of Sample Household by Type of Family 42 Table No. 4 Decision on Marriage of Children 44 Table No. 5 A. Membership Pattern and Type of Membership 44 B. Type of Membership C. Pattern of Membership Table No. 6 A. Distribution of Sample Household by Landholding Pattern 46 B. Distribution of Sample Household of Jamindar's Cultivable Land in 'andhiya' Table No. 7 Working Hours Among Male and Female in Khet / Bari 47 Table No. 8 Decision Makers for the Cropping Patterns 48 Table No. 9 Distribution of Households by Food Production 49 Table No. 10 A. Place of Getting Treatment 49 B. Decision Making on Getting Treatment B. Decision Making on the Delivery Table No. 11 Decision making in Children's Education 51 A. Enrolment of Children in Schools B. Decision Making in Sending Children to School Table No. 12 Women's Education 52 A. Women Participation in Adult Literacy Classes B. Decision Making for Women's Education Table No. 13 Decision on Educational Materials Providing to the Children 52 Table No. 14 Training and Decision Making 53 A. Women Received any Kind of Training B. Types of Training C. Decision on Training Table No. 15 Participation and Decision Making on Political Aspect 54 A. Participation on Political Programme B. Decision Making of Participation on Political Programme Table No. 16 A. Participate in Voting 55 B. Decision Making on Participation in Voting

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