Objective Girls and Womens Career Explore socio cultural norms and - PDF document

12/15/2013 Objective Girls’ and Women’s Career • Explore socio cultural norms and attitude Perspectives & Choices in the Asia- associated with men and women’s career Pacific Region: Case of Nepal choice. Sushan Acharya 13-12-2013 • Map the link among labour market, education and grade 10 students’ career choices Methodology Location, Participants & Size Location: • The overall approach of the study has been • Eight districts: Kailali, Baglung, exploratory, aiming to map educational Bhaktapur, Dhanusa Ilam, options, how young and adult view careers Kathmandu, Lalitpur and related to their appropriateness to women and men, and to what extent labour market Solukhumbu correlates with these different aspects. • Participants and Size Method and Tools Women flight attendants 18 Bachelor level non working female 60 students Bachelor level non working male students 57 • Both quantitative and qualitative approaches Female school teachers from lower 66 secondary and secondary level were applied to address the objectives of the Grade ten students: 158 Female, Male 19 161 grade ten students research. Head teachers 17 Male teachers from lower secondary and 47 secondary level Nurses 66 Working men 39 Working women 62 Higher Secondary School and Teacher 7 representatives Teacher Union Nepal & representatives of 14 different Teacher Organizations Women teacher society 15 CA male student 1 MBBS entrance exam preparing male: 1 1

12/15/2013 Quantitative approach • Five point rating scale: Qualitative approach • Survey: Two sets of questionnaires were prepared for adult men and women. One set was for those already employed and another for unemployed Bachelor level students. • Group discussion: Three separate group Focus group discussion (FGD): Thirty two FGDs discussions were organized- with grade ten girls and boys from 8 districts. representatives of Higher secondary school Main purposes: to collect information about association Nepal, Higher secondary school their families' and their own perceptions teacher association Nepal; Higher about suitable careers for female and male; secondary public school teacher; Teacher their wishes related to occupations; Union of Nepal and different teacher orientation that they receive from teachers' organizations; and Women Teacher Society. regarding career choice and plan about their higher education. Interview: • officials of National center for Educational Document Review Development; • Higher Secondary School Principle from public • Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) school in Bardiya district who serves as a 2011, trainer for TPD Curriculum Development • Nepal Labour Force Survey (NLFS) 2008 Center officials; • School statistical reports produced by DOE • Madhesi women working in public sector (Department of Education). • Women government officers, • Academic study and commissioned research • One Woman Development Officer (WDO) who reports. is not Madhesi but working in the district for long. 2

12/15/2013 Delimitation Limitations • Short time period therefore it was decided to • Summer vacation scheduled at different use quantitative approach more than periods during May and June qualitative approach. • Closing of fiscal year in mid July • Formally educated and those involved in • Literature related to some of the research workforce with certain level of education areas was not available. Therefore extensive were only selected. empirical work. • Due to unavailability of human resource at • More ambitious and laborious than expected local level district from Mid Western region could not be selected. • Role of men and women in the workplace • Statutory provisions related to women's employment Areas that the research attempted • Norms and attitudes related to the types of to capture careers/professions suited for men and women • Overall structure of the labour market • Structure of the education system • Current concerns in terms of gender disparity in the education system • Enrolment in school, tertiary level and • Approach to career counseling TEVT • Extra-curricular activities in school • Policies, initiatives and programmes to • Infrastructure and resources in schools address gender issues in education • Grade ten male and female's plan to enter • Female teachers at lower and upper the labour market secondary levels • Grade 10 male and female students' plan to • Teacher training on the use of gender pursue tertiary education sensitive language and pedagogy • Job that grade ten male and female expect to • Primary/secondary level curricula and have in about 30 years old textbooks from a gender perspective 3

12/15/2013 • Careers/occupations perceived suitable for female and male • Correlation between career choice of girls Norms and attitudes related to the and the education system context and types of careers/professions policies, factors suited for men and women • Correlation between career orientation of girls and the overall structure of the labour market • Correlation between the education system context and policies/factors and the structure of the labour market • Main observation: socio cultural norms • However, because of the perceived regarding jobs suitable for women and men have been steadily changing. roles and responsibilities of men and women, and hesitation to invest in • Increased number of women in work force girls' education families and (e.g. in financial sectors, government individuals seemed to be more offices, hospitals, etc.) has played a cautious in selecting jobs for boys and significant role in creating role model- girls. contributing to the changing norms and attitude of families and individuals. • Ilam: Families prefer nursing because there is a trend of only girls pursing this profession; teaching because it does not require much investment and is hassle-free. • Kailali: parents want them to take such Voices of grade 10 female occupation that does not require high students investment and it reaps benefits; and teaching because it does not require field visits for work purposes. Girls also added that daughters should not be allowed to make all choices by themselves, some restrictions are necessary. 4

12/15/2013 Voices of grade 10 female students • Boys should opt for certain fields that can contd … earn a good income, and share their • Kathmandu: parents allow and encourage to experiences and knowledge with other pursue their interests. people, and with the help of such occupations they can create further job • Baglung: parents want them to carefully look opportunities in their villages too. into what they would like to do so that they • Boys have more freedom and opportunity keep away from anything that would make in society, boys are more active; physically them behave in a manner the society does stronger; more confident; society revere not approve of. boys more than girls; • For security reasons and family restrictions girls have less freedom and cannot make independent decision; society puts more Voices of grade 10 male students restriction on girls; • Women have been doing certain works for many years. For example air hostess in their view helps in revealing some qualities in women like patience and responsiveness according to the situations. • Men prefer women who give more time to family • Since girls have to take care of children and • Girls have to perform household duties and first household, and cannot travel suitable jobs make their in-laws happy, then in the spare time for them are those that consume less time whatever is feasible they have to do. such as teaching, tailoring, private tutoring, beautician and small home based business. • Boys are physically stronger and bold; can do hard labor; have leadership quality, families support their decision; families support their • Girls are more skillful in such works and education; responsible for family's sustenance; these job require less physical labor. should have capacity to sustain family; do not have to do household chores and they prefer outdoors; 5

12/15/2013 • Girls prefer to do works that do not require much movement and they are less strong therefore certain jobs are more suitable for boys and certain jobs for girls • Men and women should take jobs according to their social, biological and psychological situations, and cultural • Men are the ones who come forward to norms of society fulfill society's demands and take challenges therefore certain jobs are more suitable for them; • Primarily girls' socio cultural environment and family economy drive both the family and themselves Indications when it comes to the selection of career as well as area of study. • The world view guides boys' and girls' socialization differently and thereby influences the working world. • Young girls and boys still seemed to take the gender stereotypes and roles as granted. Employment by Result: occupation and sector • More challenging jobs are given to male employees on one hand and women are not keen on taking more challenging jobs on the other. 6