Left behind women and empowerment. Consequences of male labour migration on the economic and social position of left behind women in Nepal

Abstract: Women’s empowerment is crucial for overall development. It has been recognized by international organizations as important factor as Millennium Development Goal (The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014:20). The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how male labour migration influences social and economic position of left behind women in Nepal. United Nations (UNDP 2010) has acknowledged importance of labour migration in development process, however the phenomenon of migration does not include only those who decide to move. Women, children and elderly stay behind hoping for better future in accordance to migration as an option to survive. Secondary data was used for the purpose of this study. This research analyzes left behind women’s empowerment through three dimensions: resources, agency and achievements, which were introduced in the analytical framework by Naila Kabeer (1999). This study shows that the impact of male labour migration on women left behind is a complex picture. Although, this thesis concludes that there is no indication of an empowerment process (within the meaning of Kabeer) being initiated as a result of male labour migration.