Gender and Agroforestry in the Hills of Nepal: A Report on the Division of Household Responsibilities

Abstract

This article examines the gender-related differences in the distribution of household responsibilities and decision-making in subsistence farm households in the Nepal Agroforestry Foundation (NAF)-initiated agroforestry project in Dhading district, Nepal. Based on household surveys in both project and non-project villages during May—October 1998, study findings show that women worked longer hours than men in all activities, including livestock management, fodder and fuelwood collection, land preparation, production of seedlings, and harvesting. However, their involvement in marketing and decision-making was much lower than that of the men. The results further indicated a gradual shift in the sharing of household responsibilities between women and men as a result of the project intervention.