Marginalisation of women in agriculture and allied activities: A study on Santhal women at Santhal Parganas, Jharkhand

Pages: 32-38
Binay Tudu (Dy. Manager (HR), Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), Kolkata, West Bengal)
Binit Lakra (Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Maharashtra)

‘This paper is an empirical study conducted in the Santhal Pargana division of the state of Jharkhand. A survey was carried out across the six districts of Santhal Pargana region to assess the socio-economic conditions and difficulties faced by the Santhal women in their own region as well as migrant labourers in nearby Bengal region. Structured schedule was employed during field visit along with informal open ended discussions. The study concludes that Santhals are on the brink of development process and face poverty and destitution in various ways. Their vulnerability is much evident from the findings of the study particularly related to wages, health, safety nets provided by the government and various forms of harassment they encounter as migrants. Their migrant nature of work as agriculture labourers makes them more vulnerable towards sexual abuse and harassment at the hands of the landlords. Such harassment can be of multiple forms from physical to economical and others. Many times they often end up in huge debts from the landlords. Similarly, in their own region they have very different type of issues particularly related to poor agriculture lands and irrigation facilities, minimal financial support and often large families to feed. Hence, the findings shows that conditions of Santhal women remain more or less the same as compared to earlier timed as discussed in the literature review. There is huge scope for improvement through some of the policy approaches, developing micro and mini enterprises at village levels and proactive engagement from state machineries.