The Explorer: Journal of Social Sciences ISSN: 2411-0132, Vol-1, Issue (4):110-113 www.theexplorerpak.org
WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTION IN ENHANCING ECONOMY IN VILLAGE KARIMABAD, HUNZA Shafiqa Bano1, Dr. Abid Ghafoor Chaudhry1 Department of Anthropology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi
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Corresponding Author: Shafiqa Bano PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi Shafiqahunzai@gmail.com Abstract: This study is a qualitative analysis of women’s contribution to the household economy. This particular study was conducted in the village of Karimabad in district Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan. Data was collected from 100 respondents by using simple random sampling technique. The study utilized various data collection methods including interviews, case studies, participant observation, and key informant method. Women in the village were observed to be working as teachers, nurses, carpenters and some engaged in agriculture. The shift from agriculture to employment sector has brought quiet a lot of changes in their daily life. The study reveals that the women of the area in relevance to the last decade have relatively taken more part as a working force in the domestic economy. 38 percent of the women working in various professions including vocational, technical, teaching and clerical earned between 10,000- 20,000. The data showed that even though woman have started working yet they are not being paid equally as men .
Key Words: Household economy, Women jobs, Women contribution, Rural area and women INTRODUCTION In the last decade we have seen a visible growth and change in the female job sector all over the industrialized nations. “Women perform 66% of the world’s work, and produce 50% of the food, yet earn only 10% of the income and own 1% of the property” (Clinton 2009). Women participation is on the rise. The proportion of women employment has increased over the previous “40” years (Harkness 2010). The increased economic pressure has made it fairly difficult for the male members of the family to provide with all necessities of a healthy livelihood. The world has changed tremendously since the “1930s” (Appelba, et al. 2014). Women can now easily participate in income generating activities, support their families and improve her status within the family structure and in society as a whole. Women work, to improve her children’s future(Kristof and WuDunn 2009). Working women can support her family by facilitating her children and educating them. Occupation of the ladies prompts change in the living pattern of family (Joekes and Masika 2009). Working women are presently striving appreciably, acting as an opposing force to the issues they have to face. Ladies contribute fundamentally to the family’s health and security (Choudhary and Parthasarathy 2007). Women work comparatively on a smaller scale and for the same work as men they procure a lot less (Duflo 2011). Thus even though women have
started working, they are not treated as equals to men. Women are aware of gender differences and are endeavoring to overcome this difference by working side by side to men (Panigrahy and Bhuyan 2008). Gender balance advances “financial” development (Kabeer 2012). Modern literate working women are more confident and can make their own decisions. This empowerment brings a positive change in the development of economy. Educated women in Pakistan cannot stay idol. They work to decrease economic load from her husband’s shoulders thus women’s work is as imperative as man's (Mohyuddin and Hussain 2014). In Pakistan there is wide variety in the middle of male and females, bringing about low general support rate contrasted with different nations. Working women presently take part as working force, mirroring the nation's socio-social weights to demoralize working ladies from letting their vocation objectives assume control over their essential obligations as wives and mother. In Pakistani rural society, woman are mainly responsible for household tasks like daily routine work, agricultural work, childrearing (Mohyuddin, et al. 2012). After the advent of NGOs in rural areas women are being provided with the necessary skills and finances and opportunities to work outside of their homes and earn their livings and improve their standard of lives. Rural women actively participate in agriculture, therefore to improve their involvement in agriculture many
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NGOs in rural areas give them training (Butt, et al. 2010). Women after employed had to face both responsibilities of children and official workload. Ladies are for the most part less capable than men to take part in economic opportunities because they face a work burden that men do not. Working women are confident about their future and have authority over their own lives (Kabeer, et al. 2011). Women should have the power to make and act on economic decisions(Golla, et al. 2011). Thus the lives of the working women nowadays does not orbit around man neither are they a burden on their husbands. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was carried out in the village of Karimabad, District Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan. The population of the Karimabad is round about 7325 inclusive of four main tribes, Deramiting, Khurukuch, Barataling, Borong. Simple random sampling technique was utilized for the selection of sample of 100, from a sampling a frame including private and government schools, vocational centers, colleges and households. The data was collected through quantitative and qualitative methods including Interview guide, participant observation, and case study method. RESULTS AND DISSCUSSION Qualitative data analyzed by intensive text management and analytical techniques. Whereas Quantitative data analyzed by using statistical computerized software such as SPSS and MS-excel is presented in the form of tables using frequency distribution tables. Table.1: Distribution of Respondent Regards with their Occupations Occupation Frequency Percentage Technical 15 15% Vocational 10 10% Clerical 12 12% Others 63 63% Total 100 100%
Table 2 indicated that the occupation of the respondents whereas the majority of the respondent’s i.e. 63 percent were attached with various professions like teachers, professors. According to the tabulated data showed that 15 percent technical i.e. carpenters and electricians, plumbers. 10 percent were involved in vocational work and 12 percent at clerical positions. Many of respondents in the locale prefer teaching as the best profession for women. But due to advent of many NGOs people are now giving importance to technical professions e.g. carpentry, electrician etc.
Case Study Bibi Amina was 40 years old lady with four children belonging to Brataling tribe. She is a carpenter. She is the first carpenter women in the locale who is not only reshaping wooden pieces, but also making her future. She has also inspired many other women to join this field. Many ladies are afraid to adopt. This field because it needs a lot of courage and strength. But Amina Bibi gave inspiration to all the women for adopting this profession. In her perception women can also do work in all fields just as men do. Table.2: Distribution of Respondent Regards with their Monthly Income Income Frequency Percentage Up to 10000 28 28% 10001-20000 38 38% 20001-30000 32 32% Above 30000 2 2% Total 100 100%
Table 2 presented that the income level of women in Karimabad. However, 28 percent women earn income around 10000, 26% women earn income between 10001-20000, 32% women earn 2000130000 and the remaining 2% women earn income above 30000. Ladies doing the same work they procure not as much as men (Duflo 2011). Table.3: Distribution of Respondent Regards with their Causes of Starting Jobs Causes of job Frequency Percentage Family Issues 50 50% Personal satisfaction 15 15% Children future 35 35% Total 100 100%
Table 3 presented that the causes of starting a job in Karimabad. According to the tabulated data the majority of women i.e. 50 percent women started working due to family or domestic problems. Their domestic expenditure was more than the income of their partners thus they had to start working too, 15 percent women starting job for their personal satisfaction and having experience and the rest of 35 percent women starting job for their children education and for their better future. Case Study Mrs zaibul was 45 years old lady having five daughters and one son and belongs to Deramting caste. She got married at the age of 19. She was middle pass at that time. After marriage she was busy in household activities and also working in fields, sowing different kinds of vegetables and she sold them to local market and to local hotels. Her husband has also small restaurant but he was an alcoholic and spending all earning on drugs. Her
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husband put whole responsibility of children and house on her shoulders. To fulfill this responsibility she took land from different people on rent and grew vegetables and get much profit by selling them to local market, it gradually increased her income. Now she sends her children to school with her income. Table.4: Distribution of Respondent Regards with their Contribution to the Local Economy Contribution in economy Frequency Percentage Less than 50% 15 15% 50% 34 34% Above 50% 51 51% Total 100 100%
Table 4 showed that 51% women contribute more than 50% of their income to the household economy and fulfill their expenditure, 34% women contribute 50% earning to the local economy of household budget and the remaining 15% respondents answered that less than 50% share of women contribute to the local economy. Female earnings shares29% in US followed by Denmark (26%), Germany (22%) and Belgium (21%), and are lowest in Italy, Spain and the UK only (18 %) and Canada (15%) (Harkness 2010). CONCLUSION Women in Karimabad contribute greatly to the income of their household. They work in various professions. The reason for them to start working being is mainly families’ financial issues. They spent most of their earnings in the household expenditures and on the educations of their children and only a small amount of all the earnings are spent on their personal things. This shows that the contribution of women doing jobs is great and should be appreciated and helped by the government and other institutions. REFERENCES Appelba, Eileen, Heather Boushey, and John Schmitt 2014 The Economic Importance of Women’s Rising Hours of Work: Time to Update Employment Standards. Center for American Progress Action Fund. Butt, Tahir Munir, Zakaria Yousaf Hassan Khalid Mehmood, and Sher Muhammad 2010 Role of Rural Women in Agricultural Development and Their Constraints. Journal of Agriculture and Social Sciences 6(3):5356.
Clinton, Bill 2009 Corporations, NGOs, and Foundations Announce 13 New Commitments to Empower Girls and Women at the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative. Clinton Global Initiative,An Initiative of The Clinton Foundation. Choudhary, Neetu, and Deepti Parthasarathy 2007 Gender, Work and Household Food Security. Economic and Political Weekly 42(6):523-531. Duflo, Esther 2011 Women’s Empowerment and Economic Development. National Bureau of Economic Research (17702):1-44. Golla, Anne Marie, Anju Malhotra, Priya Nanda, and Rekha Mehra 2011 Understanding and Measuring Women’s Economic Empowerment. International Center For Research on Women :1-12. Harkness, Susan 2010 The contribution of women's employment andearnings to household income inequality: A crosscountry analysis. LIS Working Paper Series, 531:1-46. Joekes, and Rachel Masika 2009 Employment and sustainable livelihoods: A gender perspective. UK: Institute Of Development Studies UK. Kristof, Nicholas D., and Sheryl WuDunn 2009 Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Vintage. Kabeer, Naila, Simeen Mahmud, and Sakiba Tasneem 2011 Does Paid Work Provide a Pathway to Women’s Empowerment?Empirical Findings from Bangladesh (375):42. Kabeer, Naila 2012 Women’s Economic Empowerment and Inclusive Growth: Labour Markets andEnterprise Development. International Development Research Centre.
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Mohyuddin, Anwaar, and Kiran Irshad Hussain 2014 Women’s Contribution in the Household Economy. European Academic Resrach journal 2(7):9590-9598. Mohyuddin, Anwaar, Hafeez-ur-Rehman, and Mamonah Ambreen 2012 Contribution Of Women In Economic Activities In Rrural Balochistan. World System Analysis At Micro Level In Anthropological Perspective. Academic Research International 3(2):548-556. Panigrahy, Rajib Lochan, and Dasarathi Bhuyan 2008 Women Empowerment. India: Discovery Publishing House. © 2015 “The Explorer” Journal of Social Sciences-Pakistan
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