Equal wages increase women's development participation

By Rajan Rawat

Humla, Mar. 13: Women's participation in development work has been increasing in the remote village of Limi in Namkha Rural Municipality-6, Humla. 

This positive shift follows the introduction of equal pay for equal work, replacing the previous unequal wage system.

Yangjin Tamang from Halji village in Limi said that more women are now actively involved in public works and community labour efforts. Tamang, who has been working on the Ghodato road construction project under the Prime Minister Employment Programme, said that not only herself but several other women are now working alongside men.

She said that women previously avoided such work because they were paid less than men despite doing the same work. Since the introduction of equal pay, women have shown greater interest and participation in these projects. Previously, women would receive only half the wages paid to men even for identical work.

Paljor Tamang, Ward Chair of Namkha Rural Municipality-6, said that the decision to provide equal pay for men and women was made collectively by the local community. As a result, women's presence in public works has noticeably increased.

 Earlier, women refrained from participating because they were paid less, but now they are often among the first to arrive at work sites, he said. 

This positive trend is not limited to public works, women are increasingly engaging in personal labour tasks as well. Tamang said that both the government's legal provisions for equal pay and Limi residents' local regulations have upheld the principle of fairness and equality.

Currently, according to the district wage rate, unskilled labourers in Humla earn Rs. 1,100 per day. This has encouraged the balanced participation of men and women in development projects.