Micro-finance and empowerment of women : Evidence from Nepal

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2008.During the last two decades micro-finance programs have proliferated around the world. The Nobel Peace Prize 2006 awarded to the Grameen Bank and its founder signifies the global recognition of micro-finance as an effective strategy for poverty alleviation and socio-economic development. Micro-finance programs are also acknowledged for having an empowering effect on women. Previous studies, however, have shown contradictory results on the empowering effect of micro-finance programs. Some studies have shown that micro-finance empowers women while other studies indicate that micro-finance not only increase gender conflict and subordination of women, but also result in the loss of women's control over their loans. This study examines the empowerment of low-income Nepalese women from squatter communities who participate in micro-finance programs. A significant difference in the level of self-esteem, self-efficacy and contribution to family income between participant group and non-participant group was found. In addition, a significant correlation between the level of self-esteem and self-efficacy and the amount of time the subjects participated in micro-finance programs meant that participation in micro-finance might have enhanced these factors. Regression analyses showed that participation in micro-finance programs had significant positive effects on self-esteem, self-efficacy and contribution to family income while controlling for socio-demographic variables like age, education level, family size and family income. This study concluded that micro-finance could help to empower female participants.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-171).Also available by subscription via World Wide Web171 leaves, bound 29 c

The natural context of mother-toddler play interactions in a rural Nepali community

Research indicates that mothers structure or scaffold children\u27s early play. However, it is unclear whether these findings can be generalized to mothers and children of different cultures. Culture-specific and ecological factors may affect a mother\u27s inclination and motivation to play with her child, her scaffolding behaviors, her involvement in play, and the type and kind of play she engages in. This study explores and provides preliminary descriptions of how play is defined, perceived, and valued by a sample of fifteen rural Nepali mothers. The study also describes the kind of play interactions Nepali mothers have with their young children who range in age from twelve to thirty-six months. The qualitative method of research was used to address the research questions. Data were collected through participant observation, videotapes of mother-child play in the course of everyday activity in the home, and interviews and discussion with the mothers based on the videotaped activities between them and their children. The results of the study reveal that play appears to be an integral aspect of mother-child interaction in daily care routines and is seen as a valuable means for keeping the child engaged, for managing child behavior, and for encouraging children\u27s co-operation. The mothers in this study have a positive attitude towards play and are aware of the developmental impact it has on children, even though they underestimate their own roles in play interaction with their children. Findings contribute to the field of child development and education by building on existing cross-cultural literature on play. Early childhood educators and practitioners will be able to utilize the results of this study to inform their work in designing and implementing culturally relevant child development and education programs that are meaningful for the target population

Online Piracy and Plagiarism

With the increasing use of computer technology and the Internet in educational settings, online resources including electronic journals are quickly gaining grounds as a primary source for references. Such online educational pursuits can result in serious consequences if users do not properly credit the owners of intellectual property they use. The purpose of this online piracy and plagiarism module was to increase awareness of online piracy and plagiarism to ultimately increase the use of strategies to avoid violations for college students. The twelve participants in this study were undergraduate and graduate students of the University of Hawai‘i who voluntarily and independently completed the module. The study found that even though most of these students were aware and had prior knowledge about online piracy and plagiarism, the pre-test and post-test scores showed an increase in understanding of the content in most of the participants. Future improvements of the module include increasing the information presented and redesigning it for broader audience

Beyond Migration: Examining the Impact of Migration Experience, Gender, and Ethno-Caste Identity on Mental Health

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2023What are the effects of migration on the mental health of migrants in Nepal? How does ethno-caste identity and gender moderate the association between migration and mental health? Taking an intersectional approach, this study examines the combined effects of migration experience, ethno-caste identity, and gender as a multidimensional social determinant of health. It leverages the Chitwan Valley Family Study, a comprehensive panel dataset, and event history analysis to address these questions in the context of Nepal. The case of Nepal is an important one for understanding the relationship between mental health and domestic and international migration. Migration in Nepal has become a major source of economic activity- leading to large segments of the population leaving to work abroad, returning home, and often, leaving again. This paper examines the interplay between migration, ethno-caste, and gender to influence mental health, thereby more carefully investigating the role social stigma, social status, and migratory community histories have on mental health disorder diagnoses. The results indicate that international migration increases the likelihood of mental health disorders for females from lower ethno-caste categories compared to their upper-ethno-caste or male counterparts. However, for female international Brahmin/Chettri and Newari migrants, ethno-caste acts as a protective factor. Additionally, the probability of experiencing a mental health disorder either decreases or remains the same for most male migrants, except for Terai Janajati males, whose probability increases with each additional month away internationally. These findings indicate that gender relationships can vary within specific ethno-caste groups, highlighting the importance of investigating both inter- and intra-ethno-caste social mechanisms

Rural water supply systems in Nepal: factors affecting equitable access to water

Equity in rural water supply systems has been a major concern of users, policymakers, and practitioners in Nepal. Communities continue to face persistent inequities in access to safe water amid the changing livelihood environment due to migration, the transition to federalism, and entrenched social hierarchies. In this situation, increasing competition for water, a resource that continues to diminish due to natural and anthropogenic causes, has aggravated disparities in access. It is usually the poor and marginalised groups who are disproportionately affected. The long-standing factors hindering equitable access to an adequate water supply amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when water is necessary for handwashing needs a sustainable resolution. Based on the learnings of a three-year research project that aimed to understand the role of gender and power dynamics in the functionality of community water systems, this paper provides insights into collective water management practices and equity amidst the pandemic. Evidence from the study shows deficiencies in community institutions created for inclusive and sustainable management of local water sources. The paper argues that achieving gender and social inclusion in community water management requires going beyond the implementation of prescribed quotas for women and under represented minority groups. Our learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the importance of equitable access to safe water and emphasise how low-income households are at higher risk of contracting the virus through shared water infrastructures. A household survey, together with a mix of qualitative methods, were the primary sources of data. Based on data from the case study sites—Ward No. 8, Gurans Rural Municipality, Dailekh district and Ward No. 6, Chandranagar Rural Municipality, Sarlahi district—we conclude that changing socio-economic contexts, prevailing social norms and practices, and premature and frequent infrastructure breakdown are barriers to fair and equitable access to water, and that local governments’ enhanced authority is a new opportunity

Gender and social inclusion in community water resource management: lessons from two districts in the Himalayan foothills and the Terai in Nepal

Despite decades of concerted efforts to address the problem, Nepal’s rural water supply sector continues to be laced with gender and social exclusion. This study provides insights from community water-user groups in two geographically and socially diverse contexts to better understand, from a gender and social inclusion perspective, and through institutional bricolage, how some water-user groups adapt to local contexts, shaping varied group dynamics that are not always equitable. Findings reveal that policies promoting social inclusion are difficult to implement amid the complex web of social and economic factors associated with community-managed water supply systems

Functionality of rural community water supply systems and collective action: a case of Guras Rural Municipality, Karnali Province

Ensuring the long-term functionality of community-managed rural water supply systems has been a persistent development challenge. It is well established that the technicalities of keeping the systems going are impacted by complex political, social, financial, and institutional challenges. While the shift to federal, three-tiered governance allocates concurrent responsibility for drinking water management to the local government with federal and provincial governments, water and sanitation user groups continue to shoulder the management of local supply systems voluntarily. All three levels have jurisdiction over water-related services resulting in confusion of roles. This study focuses on the local level, where community management of water and sanitation decentralisation is the key approach in this complex tangle of diverse institutions with different actors managing and governing water. User Groups and their Committees in the Guras Rural Municipality of Dailekh district, Karnali province, in West Nepal, provided the case study, which was analysed using Ostrom's well-recognised Eight Principles for Sustainable Governance of Common-Pool Resources. The community-based model, established formally through the Water Resource Act 1992 (2049 BS), is critically analysed in light of the changing socioeconomic context through the intervening years. The results highlight the need for stronger collaboration between the rural municipality and users to achieve good water supplies and the risks of losing access and voice in water management for women and marginalised people when inactive user groups are replaced by private or group interests taking control of the water access

Barriers to Mental Health Help-Seeking Amongst Refugee Men

Rates of help-seeking for mental health problems are low amongst refugee communities, despite the high prevalence of PTSD reported amongst these individuals. Research suggests that the key barriers to seeking help for psychological problems include structural barriers (e.g., unstable housing), cultural barriers (e.g., mental health stigma), and barriers specific to refugees and asylum seekers (e.g., visa status). This study examined the effect of structural, cultural and refugee specific barriers on the relationship between PTSD symptom severity and intentions to seek help from professional, social, and community sources. Data was collected from 103 male refugees and asylum seekers with an Arabic-, Farsi-, or Tamil-speaking background. Participants completed measures indexing demographics, trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, mental health stigma, and help-seeking intentions. Path analyses indicated that PTSD severity was associated with lower help-seeking intentions indirectly via mental health stigma (self-stigma for seeking help and self-stigma for PTSD) and visa security. PTSD severity was also associated with greater help-seeking intentions from community members indirectly via structural barriers. These findings are important to consider when identifying key barriers to mental health help-seeking and developing interventions designed to increase help-seeking for psychological problems, within this group

Ecotourism’s support of biodiversity conservation

Abstract: Ecotourism is often viewed as effective for promoting the conservation of endangered species and habitats in developing countries. By creating economic incentives for impoverished villagers or their communities, ecotourism is thought t