BAJURA: Women have taken on the responsibility of development works at Olain in Badimalika Minicipality-4 of Bajura district in absence of men in their village.

Women in the area have engaged themselves in constructing a road that goes out of the village, over a difficult terrain.

A woman member of the ward informed that women have taken on hard labour as the men of the village have gone to India to earn money. She added that responsibility of all works related to development and construction have therefore fallen upon the women.

Similarly, women in Martadi of Badimalika-8 are also active in development and social works. Deputy Mayor of Badimalika Municipality Kabita Bista said, as all the men have gone across the border to India to earn their living, women have undertaken the works of development.

Villages in Bajura, Bajhang, Humla, Jumla, Mugu, Kalikot, among other places, are witnessing youths and men migrating for work, which has shifted the responsibility of manual work entirely on women. The men had to go out to find work after famine made food scarce in their villages. Land in these areas have become infertile due to continuous famine.

Moreover, due to shortage of food and food production, even children who are capable of working have dropped out of schools and left their village in search of work.

In shortage of food, some households have completely uprooted themselves and moved away from the area.