Impact of Homestay in women empowerment and entrepreneurship in Nepal : A case study of Nagarkot
Author
Barailee, Apsara
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-01-05
Pages
45
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan drift af homestays påvirker kvinders empowerment og entreprenørskab i Nagarkot, en peri-urban turistdestination ved Kathmandu-dalen i Nepal. Med udgangspunkt i en kvalitativ casestudie tilgår forskningen spørgsmålet gennem dybdegående semistrukturerede interviews med kvindelige homestay-operatører, mandlige familiemedlemmer og lokale nøgleaktører, teoretisk forankret i Kabeers ressourcer–agency–resultater-model og Scheyvens’ empowermentramme. Data er analyseret tematisk med både foruddefinerede temaer fra litteraturen og fremvoksende temaer fra deltagernes erfaringer. Resultaterne viser, at homestay-turisme styrker kvinders økonomiske empowerment gennem selvstændig indkomst og øger deres sociale legitimitet i husholdninger og lokalsamfund. Kvinder oplever større handlekraft og indflydelse via forhandlet og fælles beslutningstagning, samt betydelige sociale og psykologiske gevinster som øget selvtillid, offentlig anerkendelse og et identitetsskifte fra ubetalt husligt arbejde til entreprenørskab. Samtidig består væsentlige udfordringer, herunder fortsat ansvar for ubetalt husarbejde, der skaber dobbeltarbejde, samt skiftende kønsroller med mandlige reaktioner fra modstand til aktiv støtte. Der observeres også sociale spændinger, som husholdningskonflikter og ulighed i lokalsamfundet, drevet af ujævn fordeling af gevinster og ændrede magtforhold. Empowerment via homestays fremstår delvis og sårbar uden vedvarende institutionel støtte, inkluderende styring og kapacitetsopbygning. Kvinder beskriver empowerment som mere end indkomst og fremhæver værdighed, stemme, selvtillid og langsigtet sikkerhed. Studiet bidrager med en kontekstsensitiv analyse af kvinder i en overset peri-urban sammenhæng og viser, at homestay-turisme kan være en meningsfuld vej til empowerment, men kræver relationelle forandringer, retfærdig fordelingspolitik og støttende rammer, der integrerer ligestilling i bæredygtig turismeudvikling i Nepal.
This thesis examines how operating homestays influences women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship in Nagarkot, a peri-urban tourism destination on the outskirts of Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley. Using a qualitative case study design, the study addresses this question through in-depth semi-structured interviews with women homestay operators, male family members, and key community stakeholders, guided by Kabeer’s resources–agency–achievements model and Scheyvens’ empowerment framework. Data were analyzed thematically, combining deductive themes from the literature with inductive insights grounded in participants’ lived experiences. Findings show that homestay tourism strengthens women’s economic empowerment by generating independent income and enhancing social legitimacy in households and communities. Women reported increased agency and decision-making power via negotiated and joint household decisions, alongside notable social and psychological gains such as greater confidence, public recognition, and an identity shift from unpaid domestic roles to entrepreneurship. Persistent challenges remain, including responsibility for unpaid domestic labor leading to a double workload, and contested gender relations with male responses ranging from resistance to allyship. Social tensions, such as household conflict and community-level inequality, arise from uneven benefit distribution and changing power dynamics. Empowerment through homestay tourism appears partial and fragile without sustained institutional support, inclusive governance, and capacity-building. Women articulated empowerment as extending beyond income to encompass dignity, voice, confidence, and long-term security. The study offers a nuanced, context-sensitive analysis of a largely overlooked peri-urban setting and concludes that while homestay tourism can provide a meaningful pathway to empowerment, its transformative potential depends on relational change, equitable benefit-sharing, and supportive policy frameworks that embed gender equality within sustainable tourism development in Nepal.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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