A Study On Mobile Phone Usage For Economic Empowerment Of Rural Women In Nepal

This study shows the contribution of a mobile phone to help improve the economic condition of rural women of Nepal.Nepal is a developing country with the huge population depending on a diminutive yet versatile land,with the ratio of men to women is said to be almost equal.With 14 millions of women and 13 million men striving their life through this developing country,gender discrimination has been a common practice in the society.Gender discrimination varies from early education to getting paid for a job done equally like men.The study has focused on rural women and their economic condition.The study area has a lot of different social classes which influences the conclusion of the theory.The first objective of the study was to analyze the importance of the economic status of women,and the aspect of the fluctuation.The second aim of the study was to analyze how mobile phones influence the economic condition of the rural women.This study is considered to be an ethnographical research study.To analyze the research aims,different methods were used for data collection such as case studies,household interviews(with key informant's interviews),few group discussions and non-governmental originations(NGOs),researched data.Most of the information was based on verbal communication and economic statistics and graph related and with further data were collect with the help of survey and the NGOs;helpers.The main data used for analysis were from two villages called Sindhupalchowk and Gorkha.The findings indicate that mobile phones provide a better livelihood by strengthening social chains,leading towards the reduction of poverty;cutting down travelling expenses;with the increment of quick immobile decision makings.The use of mobile phones also decreases the cost of starting up a business,being well aware of the market prices,with the knowledge of the market cost price and secured profit rates;it also helps people to be in touch with the governmental association members for queries related to agriculture or law and norms.It is concluded that phones enrich the rural livelihoods with easy and quick modes of communication like the urban life,moreover increasing their assets and overcome the burden they have been carrying all their lives.Using mobile phones just didn't have benefits it also had its challenges faced by the users.First was talking about the cost price of mobile phones.People who earn on day to day wages find it very difficult to save up to buy an expensive phone.Second challenge would be the male sociological pressure towards women,they don't feel entitled to owning a mobile phone.Third challenge was being cheating by the service provider for some extra income.