Empowering or burdening women? Assessing precariousness of vocationally trained women in Nepal

Abstract: Amidst the paradox concerning the role of gender-stereotyped vocational training programmes in empowering women, this research makes a qualitative study of the training and post-training experiences of women graduating from two so-called women friendly vocational training programs – tailoring and beautician. 12 beauticians and 7 tailors have contributed as interview participants in this research, and the data thus gathered have been analysed from theoretical perspectives of Closure Theory, Precariousness and Postcolonial Feminist Theory. Discussions suggest that women in Nepal are systematically excluded from better/equal training and working opportunities owing to the disproportionately lower attainment of formal education, extremely limited access to finances, as well as the traditional and philosophical orientation of the Nepali society. As a result, beauticians and tailors experience demarcationary closure and are nudged into such gender-stereotyped occupations. These occupations, although they provide extremely low financial returns, are heavily stratified in the labour market – based mostly on the number of training and credentials gathered by women. As such, to climb the ladder of stratification, women are compelled to attain as many training programmes as they can and gather several certificates, which signifies the existence of credentialism, usurpation and dual closure. In terms of precariousness, although gender-stereotyped vocational training programmes put women into economic activities, their jobs are largely precarious and their living conditions become worse as they are often forced to work in parallel with their socially dictated gender roles of household chores and nurturing roles. As such, they are found to suffer from triple (or at times even quadruple) burdens. Similarly, at least 5 out of 7 forms of Guy Standing’s labour related securities are absent for beauticians and tailors, and even the remaining 2 display conditions of precariousness. As such, this research concludes that gender-stereotyped vocational training programmes are biased against women, exclude women from better/higher income-earning opportunities, and manifest precarious income, living and working conditions for women.