Between 1996 and 2006 Nepal faced a bloody armed conflict waged by the United Communist party of Nepal (UCPN). It ended after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the government of Nepal and UCPN in November 2006. Upreti, Bishnu and KC (2016) analyze the effects of armed conflict on the Nepal agricultural market, and the state of women’s engagement in high value agricultural exports as well as its role in market revival in the post-conflict stage.
In the development of their research, the authors conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups and they complemented this information with secondary data from government agencies. Specifically for the analysis of the state of women’s engagement in high value agricultural exports, they interviewed 33 informants including women leaders of cooperatives, cardamom and ginger farmers groups and local units of political parties in the districts of the Eastern Hills, Ilam, Panchthar and Nepal.
According to the participants in the project, agriculture was one of the most affected sectors from the armed conflict in Nepal in terms of production, processing and marketing. The main affectations suffered by this sector were caused by the disruption of markets, damage of market infrastructure (roads), taxation and donations, and shortage of agricultural inputs for production in both rural and urban areas from the armed conflict (Upreti, Bishnu and KC 2016:161).
However, since the armed conflict ended with the signing of the Peace Agreement on 2006, the agriculture market has revived and is advancing well. The main reasons given for this change have been the improved security situation and the market opportunities arising from high value cash crops like cardamom, ginger and broom grass, which was severely obstructed during the war time due to insecurity ( Upreti, Bishnu and KC 2016:162).
In this context, the role of the women in the resurgence of the agricultural sector has been decisive and the Government and the private sector have supported their active participation in different ways. One of these has been creating the opportunities for the commercialization and facilitating the cultivation of cardamom, ginger, low volume high value vegetable seeds, fresh vegetables and broom grass farming in available land. Once the women have been engaged in the production and comercialization of high value crops like cardamom, the Nepal Government has promoted their ownership of land through mechanisms such as exemption of registration fees when land is registered in the name of women, special concessions when land is registered in joint ownership and equal land rights to daughters ( Upreti, Bishnu and KC 2016:170).
Another way in which the Women in Nepal have been engaged in the revival agricultural sector is opening spaces for they in local committees on management of markets, cooperatives and information. The interviewed in this study highlighted that cardamom and cash crop enterprises, in later years have provided increased space for their political engagement and leadership. The formation and operation of agriculture and cardamom/ginger cooperatives provided spaces for women to take positions such as chairperson, secretary and treasurer, positions that require political and investment decisions. The sanctioning of loans for many male applicants from the cooperatives, opened up spaces for negotiation and exercise of their authority. Furthermore, their competence, confidence and leadership skills have allowed to them to get political positions in political parties ( Upreti, Bishnu and KC 2016:176).
The experience of Nepal demonstrates that women’s engagement in high value economic activity and consequently their economic independence has contributed to raising their status through their increased household level decision-making; their increased involvement in political roles and higher social recognition in their communities.
Reference:
Upreti, Bishnu Raj, Ghale, Yamuna and KC, Sony. 2016. “Effects of Armed Conflict on Agricultural Markets and Post-conflict Engagement of Women in Export-led Agriculture in Nepal.” Journal of International Women’s Studies, 18(1):156-180.