Parental Decisions and Influence on Young Women’s Education to Work Transitions and Possible Selves Futures in Nepal

Abstract

Statistics show that Nepal has made significant progress in achieving gender parity, especially in the areas of access to education and female literacy rates. However, despite significant advances made towards equal access to education, Nepali society, to a large extent, still privileges a patriarchal mindset which favours a son over a daughter in access to resources. Using a sample of 12 young females, this paper assesses parental choices in education influencing the education to work transition of young females and also their sense of selves. The findings show that the career pathways of young female participants were directly affected by their parents’ choices and intervention in their secondary education. For some, parents’ influence on selecting an education stream turned out to be an opportunity for a better career and life, while for the others it acted as a barrier. The paper highlights the implications of parents’ choices for the young females as they transition from education to work and their sense of selves, both positively and negatively.