An Analytical Study of the Problems Faced by Tribal Women in Achieving Empowerment in Palghar District

Abstract

Tribal women have a great contribution in the social and economic development of tribal communities. But they face a lot of hurdles to achieve empowerment. This study concentrates on the major challenges faced by tribal women for empowerment in Palghar District of Maharashtra. The study mainly focuses on issues of poverty, poor education, poor health care, unemployment, lack of knowledge about government welfare schemes, social discrimination and poor infrastructure. The study uses both primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected from 50 tribal women by using a structured questionnaire with five-point Likert scale. Secondary data were collected from books, journals, government papers and published research publications. Descriptive and inferential statistics including mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data. The study results reveal that poverty, lack of employment opportunities and poor health care facilities are the major hindrance to the empowerment of indigenous women. The study found that the lack of awareness, limited educational opportunities and financial dependence affect the confidence and participation of indigenous women in decision making. The study reveals that for the empowerment and all round development of tribal women in Palghar district, enhancements in healthcare, education, employment opportunities, awareness campaigns and infrastructure development are essential.