Economic and Political Empowerment of Women in the Char Areas of Brahmaputra Valley of Assam with Special Reference to Barpeta District
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ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN THE CHAR AREAS OF BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY OF ASSAM WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO BARPETA DISTRICT THESIS SUBMITTED i=OR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ARTS (POLITICAL SCIENCE) UNDER THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH BENGAL SUBMITTED BY .JAVA BISWAS UNDER THE SUPERVISION Of PROFESSOR SOUMITRA DE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH BENGAL DAR.JEELING, INDIA- 734013 2011 --f~ 3 l <6 • 3 ~ I 3 0 '6 ~ 0 l1 2.. CO, 6 2.\ e 250f>4J 10 MAY 2013 DEDICATED TO MY DEAREST FATHER CONTENTS Page No. List of Tables and Figures vii - x List of Abbreviations xi - xiv Preface xv - xvi Map and Colour Plates of Field Research xvii- xix CHAPTER- 1 01- 30 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS CHAPTER- 2 31- 92 GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER- 3 93- 137 CHAR AREAS OF BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY CHAPTER- 4 138-171 WOMEN IN FAMILY, SOCIETY AND POLITICAL PROCESSES CHAPTER- 5 172-209 PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT AND GENDER IN ASSAM CHAPTER- 6 210-221 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY 222-250 APPENDICES LIST OF TABLES, TEXT BOXES & FIGURES Page No. CHAPTER-I TEXT BOX NO.I : BLOCKWISE CHAR VILLAGES CHAPTER-II GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT Table No.1 Assam : Demography with special reference 45 to gender Table No.2 Population of Assam and India 46 Table No.3 Progress of Literacy : (Assam) 47 Table No.4 Birth, Death and Infant Mortality Rates of 48 Assam and India (per Mile) Table No.5 Work Participation Rate: Assam Work 54 Participation Rate (Percentage) Table No.6 Main Workers & Marginal Worker : Assam 55 Percentage Gender Wise: 2001 census Table No.7 Total and Women Employment in Organised 57 Sector in Assam (in thousand Nos.) till 2006 Table No.8 Women's employment in Organised sector in 58 Assam (in thousand nos.) and percentage Table No.9 Assam Govt. Employees according to the 59 status/caste/tribes and sex as per Employees Census, 1999 Table No.10 Distribution of Assam Government 61 Employees and the percentage of Women Employees, 1999 Table No.11 Organised Sector Employment, Assam, 1999 62 Figure No.1 Women's Share 1n Organised Sector 63 Employment(%) Figure No.2 Women in Government Employment(%) 64 LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, CHARTS AND DIAGRAMS Table No.12 Crimes Aainst Women in Assam (2000- June 67 2005) Table No.13 Crimes against women in the state 68 Table No.14 States having Highest Crime Rates in the 69 Country: Percentage Table No.15 Number of Missing Women in Assam 70 Table No.16 Gender Disparity indices in North East India 72 Table No.17 Persons killed in Assam because of 73 derogatory practice of witch hunting Table No.18 Yearwise distribution of electorate showing 75 male/female and total in Assembly Election in Assam from 1952-2000. Table No.19 Turnout among women: Lok Sabha Elections 76 (percent) (Assam, N.E. India) Table No.20 Election to Assam Legislative Assembly (1952 77 to 2006) Table No.21 Gender Advantage : Contesting Candidates to 79 the Election of Assam Legislative Assembly (1952 to 2006) Table No.22 Number of women representatives to the Lok 81 Sabha from Assam: 1952 to 2004 Table No.23 Selected Gender Disparity Indicators: North 83 Eastern States CHAPTER-III CHAR AREAS OF BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY Table No.24 Damages caused by Flood in Assam 116 Figure No.3 Total value of Damages caused by Floods in 117 Assam (Rs. In lakh) Table No.25 Districtwise Char villages along with 120 population and Rate of Literacy, 1992-93 (viii) LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, CHARTS AND DIAGRAMS Table No.26 Districtwise Demographic Proflie of Char : 123, 124 Areas of Assam Table No.27 Fund allotment for development of Char 133 areas CHAPTER-IV WOMEN IN FAMILY-SOCIETY-POLITICAL PROCESSES Table No.28 Demographic Profile of Barpeta District as 1 per 200 1 Census. Population and literacy as per 2001 census. Table No.29 Muslim Population and Literacy rate in 140 Barpeta District: As per 200 1 Census. Table No.30 Literacy Rate of Hindus & Muslims: Barpeta 141 District, As per 2001 Census Table No.31 Social Background of Surveyed Char Villages 156 Table No.32 Women's Autonomy in Decision-Making in 157 Char Villages Table No.33 Economic Status of Women's Members of 158 Family Table No.34 Decision Making 159 Table No.35 Gender Discrimination in Family 160 Table No.36 Household Socio-Economic Status 162 Table No.37 Exposure to Mass Media 163 Table No.38 Level of Political Participation 166 Table No.39 Membership of Self Help Group 167 Figure No.4 Distribution Curve of Women's Political 168 Participation Figure No.5 Distribution Curve of Exposure to mass 169 media, Women's Autonomy & Political Participation (ix) LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, CHARTS AND DIAGRAMS Figure No.6 Bar Diagram of Exposure to Mass Media, 170 Women's Autonomy & Political Participation CHAPTER-V PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT AND GENDER IN ASSAM Table No.40 Devolution Index descending order on overall 187 rank Table No.41 Ranking of States as per Index of 188 Development Since 2005-6 to 2009-10 Text Box Formation of SHG 183 No.2 Table No.42 SHG Credit in different states of India 195 Table No.43 The State of Assam: Number of SHGs- 197 112,547. District wise summery of all SHGs of Assam. Table No.44 Summary of all Self Help Groups of Barpeta 201 District Table No.45 Summary of all Self Help Groups of Mandia 202 Block of Barpeta District Table No.46 Summary of all Self Help Groups of Changa 203 Block of Barpeta District Table No.47 Summary of all Self Help Groups of Rupsi 204 Block of Barpeta District Table No.48 Major Activitywise Summary of all Self Help 205 Groups of Barpeta District (x) LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AGP Asom Gana Parishad AHDR Assam Human Development Report AIWC All India Women's Conference AUDF Assam United Democratic Front BDO Block Development Officer BRAC The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee BTC Bodoland Territorial Council CAW Crime Against Women CAWSSER Char Areas Welfare Society for Socio-Economic Research CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women CID Criminal Investigation Department CIME Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Congress (I) Congress Indira Congress (R) Congress Reddy Congress (S) Congress Socialist Congress (U) Congress Urs. CPI Communist Party of India CPIM Communist Party of India (Marxist) DAWN Development Altematives with Women for a New Era DI Index of Devolution DRDAs District Rural Development Agencies EIMA Eastern India Muslim Association ES Economic Survey FWPR Female Work Participation Rate GB Gender Budgeting LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS GDI Gender Development Index GEM Gender Empowerment Measure GLC Ganesh Lal Chowdhury GM Gender Mainstreaming Govt. Government GU Gauhati University HDI Human Development Index HDR Human Development Report !CDS Integrated Child Development Scheme ICSSR Indian School of Social Science Research Centre IGA Income Generation Activities IIPA Indian Institute of Public Administration IMR Infant Mortality Rates LAC Legislative Assembly Constituency LEB Life Expectency at Birth MDGs Millennium Development Goals MFis Micro-Finance Institutions MLA Member of Legislative Assembly MP Member of Parliament MWCD Ministry of Women and Child Development MWS Muslim Women Survey MYRADA Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NCAER The National Council of Applied Economic Research NE North East NER North Eastern Region NFHS National Family and Health Survey (xii) LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS NFS National Family Survey NGOs Non-Governmental Organisations NHDR National Human Development Report NWC National Women Commission OBC Other Backward Class PC Planning Commission PEAIS The Panchayat Empowerment and Accountability Incentive Scheme PHE Public Health Engineering PRI Panchayat Raj Institution PTCA Plan Tribal Council of Assam PWD Public Works Department RCPI Revolutionary Communist Party of India RGI Registrar General of India RMK Rastriya Mahila Kosh RRBs Re~onalRuralBanks RWFP Rural Female Workforce Participation sc Schedule Caste SGSY Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana SHA Statistical Handbook of Assam SHG-BL Self Help Group Bank Linkage SHGs Self Helf Groups SIRD State Institute of Rural Development SMP Substantial Muslim Population ST(H) Scheduled Tribes (Hills) ST(P) Scheduled Tribes (Plains) STEP Support to Training and Employment Programme UGC University Grants Commission (xiii) LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS UMF United Minorities Front UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Project UNICEF United Nations Intemational Cultural and Education Fund USA United States of America USRC Women Studies Research Centre Uts Union Territories WCD Women and Child Development WDR World Development Report WEDO Women's Environment and Development Organisation 3Fs Funds, Functions and Functionaries (xiv) Preface 'Ilie present study has grown out of my 6efoved father's narration regarding the depfora6fe condition of char (riverine) peop{e of CBrahmaputra va{fey ofJl_ssam, particuCarfy the diar-dweCfers ofCBatpeta rDistrict which my father experienced during State CEfections in 1985, 1991and 1996 6ecause of his innumera6fe trips 6oth as a socia{ activist and as an CEfection campaigner in these inaccessi6{e and 6acftward areas of}lssam. In fact, I had the opportunity to co{fect first hand information on the first hand socio-economic condition and poU:tica{ awareness of char peop{e in genera{ and women in particuCar from my father, which in the su6sequent period has inspired and encouraged me immensefy to undertakg a comprehensive and systematic anafysis of this issue. 'Today, economic and poU:tica{ empowerment of women of any society and community 6efonging to any region. :More so in the case of the 6acftward and inaccessi6fe Char areas of the mighty river cBrahmaputra and its tri6utaries is a comp{e)( su6ject with many issues and dimensions. 'Ilie state of a{most a{{ the char dweCfers 6arring a few permanent chars depends mostfy on the currents of the river cBrahmaputra and its tri6utaries.