Gender disparity in household decision-making is a common phenomenon in developing countries. It is influenced by ethnicity, culture and geographical location. Household decision-making processes were examined in rural Nepal with a primary focus on gender roles in the context of three distinct ethnic communities (Brahmin/Chhetri, Gurung and Tharu) in the Chitwan district. A combination of participatory rural appraisal (n=6), gender analysis (n=6), key informant interviews (n=14) and a household socio-economic survey (n=123) were used to collect data. At the household level men and women were interviewed separately. The involvement of women in economic activities was quite high but differed substantially between the ethnic groups and by type of household... |