Labour participation and fertility of rural women in Nepal

Nepal, as a patrilineal society, is generally characterised by the domination of women by men. As such, it is widely believed that productive activities are mainly carried out by men. Women are generally seen as being confined to household activities only, such as looking after the house, child rearing, food processing and collecting firewood. Women are not thought to be directed by economic and social networks of the nation. However, as will be shown in this paper, this is a false image.