Nepalese indigenous labour relations

The first part of the author's argument is related to 'local knowledge', 'indigenous knowledge', or sustainable agriculture: local of indigenous knowledge is neglected but a valuable resource. Like many researchers in environmental and sustainable agriculture studies, anthropologists complain that development planners neglect the role of local knowledge in Nepalese agricultural production. Such neglect of indigenous systems of agricultural production, especially relations of agricultural production, slow Nepal's development goals. The author will elaborate on this theme as it applies to Nepal and her research sits in western Nepal in Jajarkot District.

The second theme to her presentation involves the role of women in local knowledge. Researchers writing about labour relations practices fail to involve women in written description and analysis. A quick review of the literature on jajmani for south Asia will convincingly demonstrate that there is little understanding of what jajmani duties fall upon female potters, tailors, pipe-makers, grain threshers, and leather-workers. Perhaps these women make artisanal craftwork, learn a new skill or migrate seasonally to India for labour. But no one has concentrated on their work and lives. Women in rural Nepal perform many tasks outside the home, such as artisanal work, food processing, and caring for livestock. Before it is possible to understand the socio-economic situation in Nepal, we should focus less on the work and roles of the high caste males and more on the work and contributions to the economy women and low caste workers make.If development experts neglect both women's productive contributions and indigenous knowledge, they are bound to come up with a wrong understanding of a proper Nepalese development agenda.