Managing the triple roles: A study on rural mountain women?s changing routine in Nepal

In Nepal, women?s groups are organised around and charged with voluntary responsibilities in managing local resources (such as, savings and credit groups, women?s upliftment groups, forest user groups). Given the fact that, women have productive and reproductive roles, moving them more towards voluntary community roles without commensurate reduction in the first two roles might overburden them. This study done in a small scale, interviewing 30 women serving in the executive committees of various women-only community-based organisations explored on their social roles outside and resulting changes in their household responsibilities. It was observed that women spent one to four days equivalent per month outside mostly attending the meetings of their committees and groups yet their workload within household remained unchanged. This suggested that the social roles outside came to women as an additional burden. However, it was concluded that, so long as these outside involvements serve their strategic needs (empowerment) through fulfilling their practical needs (awareness, training, savings and credit) they would continue to shoulder the emerging social roles outside together with their household roles inside.