ELK Asia Pacific Journals – Special Issue ISBN: 978-81-930411-0-9

RURAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH RURAL TOURISM: A CASE STUDY ON ,

Manisha Seal, Research Scholar, Tourism Management, Mother Teresa Women University, Kodaikanal

ABSTRACT

This paper is an attempt to explore the role of tourism in bringing rural women empowerment in a small rural area of Karnataka. Studies around the world show that tourism enterprises have increased the power of women within both the family and the community. Experience in Spain, Greece, France, Britain and Ireland has demonstrated that the involvement of women in rural tourism ventures has helped to transform their economy and development of rural areas. In future rural tourism is predicted

to have a great growth potential in by tourism scholars. There has been a radical shift in the kind of tourism in India from „mass tourism to „experience based tourism‟ whereby the tourists want to see the authentic lifestyle of rural people The research paper is focused on rural women empowerment in a small rural setting of India located at District of Karnataka addressed as “Anegundi “through rural tourism. The research has been undertaken for purpose of achieving rural empowerment in a small village of Anegundi by empowering women through rural tourism.

Key words : Rural tourism, Women empowerment , Gender equality , Rural development Introduction: Since the 1848 Seneca Falls This gender gap influences the access to Women’s Rights Conference and the and control of resources, political voice, in subsequent Declaration of Sentiments, economic opportunities, and power issues of women empowerment have relations. Ultimately, the costs of these infiltrated into almost all spheres of the inequalities cut broadly across the society global and local debates, within and outside and ultimately harm everyone. the academia. Tourism is one of such phenomenon that engages both the global STUDY OBJECTIVES: and the local and has been no exception to The aim of the present study is to gain this turn. There is no more profound avenue insight into the concept of women to demonstrate that women empowerment empowerment in the rural setting from the has entered the realms of the most popular event rural tourism in context of Village and rapidly growing global than Anegundi at , Karnataka the United Nations World Tourism where women have become self reliant and Organisation (UNWTO)’s resolution to empowered by making their traditional include women empowerment among its handicrafts and offering tourism services to ‘triple commitment’ objectives to the the tourist community as the source of Millennium Development Goals (UNWTO, income from tourism. These handicrafts 2008). The strength of tourism can also help and tourism services have become prime to improve livelihoods of rural people by attractions for not only domestic tourist but alleviating poverty, ensure or improve also foreign tourist. The research focuses on environmental sustainability, and promote specific objectives as follows: gender equality and empower women. • To identify the significance of rural There is no region in the developing world tourism in bringing rural women where women seem to be equal to men in empowerment terms of legal, social and economical rights. ELK Asia Pacific Journals – Special Issue ISBN: 978-81-930411-0-9

• To study the role of tourism g) The gender dimension of child entrepreneurship and fibre handicraft in labour women empowerment. h) Poor access to resources / land/ • To understand the perceptions of local property ( issue on property right, women on rural tourism entrepreneurship access and use of common property and empowerment. resources ) • To recommend the measures for women empowerment through rural tourism at Anegundi RURAL TOURISM AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN ANEGUNDI, THE STUDY AREA: KARNATAKA : The rural setting of Anegundi is the study With the advent of urbanization and area, known for its historical and industrialization, and thus exhausting work, mythological significance, perched on the noise, various pollutions, more and more bank of river Tungabhadra. Anegundi is the tourists yearn for the areas of preserved legendary kingdom of Kishkinda of the nature, clean air, healthy food. The ideal monkey prince Sugriva. It is also the cradle refuge for these tourists are precisely the of the Krishnadevaraya dynasty of the rural, village areas and farms - an oasis of glorious Vijaynagar Empire and falls in the peace, which Anegundi is the symbols of core zone of the World Heritage Site of wealth, fertility, and prestige of Karnataka. . This rural setting has significant Anegundi have a favourable condition for cultural and natural tourism resources in tourism development in the countryside. form of unique and architecture There are particularly favourable style of vernacular rural houses, distinctive conditions of preserved nature, with a mild Anegundi Utsav, rural handicrafts, folklore climate, clean air, still unpolluted riverside and rural natural beauty makes it more landscape, attractive framing lands, and precious and attractive rural tourist sculptural garden. Spending time in destination and it also possess enormous Anegundi gives tourists the opportunity for economic empowerment opportunities walking, bicycling, recreation, fishing, though tourism entrepreneurship for rural swimming, grazing of animals, picking of women at the village. vegetation, and other recreational as well as leisure activities in nature. Those tourists However in order to understand the who demonstrate an interest in carrying out condition of women in Indian society in handicraft work and agricultural work can general. The following factors are taken also be involved in it. The village also has into consideration the glories histological background and mythological significance which makes it a) Low female literacy level an idea tourist destination for pilgrims and b) Women’s contribution to heritage lovers . production/ reproduction is not

adequately recognised The development of tourism in rural c) Non recognition of women’s work Anegundi, as an organized activity began d) Lack or poor levels of skills/ just over a fifteen Years ago initiated by training for women workers Ms. Shama Pawar – Chairperson of The e) Poor health conditions and poverty Trust. The Trust as f) Absence of social security measures nongovernmental body played a for women workers and uneual remarkable role in bringing sustainable wages ELK Asia Pacific Journals – Special Issue ISBN: 978-81-930411-0-9

development of rural women empowerment other types of mats, Earrings and other in the village. The Anegundi as a rural , and other items are made by the tourist destination has a wide range of artisans of Bhoomi Society. At present handicrafts and rural art products which Bhoomi Society has grown to a strength of promotes the rural cottage industry of around 200 women, who are all skilled in a Anegundi and also empowers local rural particular creative field and who regularly women with employment opportunity and work (directly and indirectly) with economic stability. This handicraft cottage designers to produce attractive range of industry is run by Women's Self Help handicrafts to the local market and tourist Groups (SHGs) known as Bhoomi society community specifically. of working women of Anegundi. THE CHALLENGES AND POSSIBLE The Bhoomi society of working women DIRECTION TO STRENGTHEN constitute a group of 15 Self Help Groups RURAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT (SHGs) established at Anegundi village to IN ANEGUNDI, KARNATAKA: bring women empowerment through economic independence for it members. The local residents, stakeholders and the Each SHG works in different creative areas, NGO’s collective viewpoints in the form of such as , crocheting, banana fiber following challenges they faced in trying to making, tailoring etc. This society come up with rural tourism ventures in the supported by The Kishkindha Trust since area and needs to be critically addressed: 1997 is now an independent unit run and -Lack of capital and investments in the rural managed by the local women artisans of areas by the government and private sector. Anegundi. Bhoomi Society is the flagship -Lack of business opportunity awareness project of TKT , which brought the women and financial institutional support to bring together, taught them the craft of making out rural women entrepreneurship in the natural fibre products , gave them exposure village. to working with a range of premier -Low level of skill development among the designers and design students from across rural women to carry out constructive the country and abroad and as of this year; developmental task. Bhoomi Society is an independent unit with -Lack of linkages between micro, small and the artisans managing their own medium enterprises for women administrative and production functions, entrepreneurship development producing natural fibre crafts that are sold -Corruption and mismanagement of key across India and abroad, with TKT today development government institutions only providing support in terms of building -Lack of cooperation and participation from market links and knowledge dissemination. local Gram Panchayat in bringing out women empowerment and developmental Shorba is the brand name of the crafts plans in the village produced by Bhoomi Society which comprise of locally available natural fibers such as banana, water hyacinth and river RECOMMENDATION: grass to make beautifully designed products. A labour intensive process, the First, it is necessary to impart education , fiber is first stripped from the stem of the awareness and guidance about the tree and then rolled into a rope that can be significance of rural tourism and the woven or crocheted into a variety of various opportunities thrown for products. Bags, Purses, Table Mats and developing women entrepreneurship to ELK Asia Pacific Journals – Special Issue ISBN: 978-81-930411-0-9

bring women empowerment in the village. European Federation for Farm and In addition to this application of aggressive Village Tourism marketing strategy and market plan, [5] http://www.thekishindatrust.org/pa propaganda and promotion to enhance the ge_id=1598 sale of tourist services and Handicrafts [6] http://www.world-tourism.org – made by Women own enterprises . Second, World Tourism Organisation Facilitate economic resources, technical [7] www.IndiaTravel.biz assistance and consultation services to [8] www.Indiaenvironmentportal.org.i develop women entrepreneurship in the n village by the government , gram panchayat [9] Tourism Planning and and NGOs Third, Ensuring social security Development: Burns, Peter, and and safety to women is one of the primary Andrew Holden. 1995. Tourism: A need to empower women in the village . New Perspective. London: Prentice The cooperation, coordination and Hall. recognition from the family and the society [10] Jagmohan Negi and Guarav is one of the major look out for bringing Manohar. 2013.’ Rural Tourism: women Empowerment. Planning and

CONCLUSION: This paper has indicated that women a. Promotion’ Author press. empowerment through tourism presents a [11] Chok, S., Macbeth, J, &Warren complex situation with chances and C. (2007). Tourism as a Tool for challenges intricately weaved together. The Poverty viewpoint of the research paper is to unpack i. Alleviation: A Critical the problems, threats in bringing women Analysis of ‘Pro-Poor empowerment and to provide a perspective Tourism’ and Implications of hope amidst the seeming chaos. The for Sustainability. Current example of Anegundi village reveals that issues inTourism 10(2) indeed tourism has gone a long way to Pages 144 – 165 provide opportunities and that the [12] Deshmukh-Ranadive, J. (2003). challenges can be addressed by Placing Gender Equity in the incorporating them in the ordering process Family Centre Stage: to produce innovations in tourism. Such i. Use of ‘Kala Jatha’ Theatre, innovations will include facilitating and Economic and Political creating avenues for women to innovatively Weekly, 26 April 2003 initiate and manage tourism projects that [13] Deutsche Bank Research, (2008). also address key global challenges. Climate change and Tourism. Where will the REFERENCES i. journey lead? DFID (2005) Evaluation of DFID [1] Susheela Nair. June 2009 Edition Development Assistance: ,Civil Society online - Anegundi Gender (Karnataka) [14] Equality and Women’s [2] The Hindu Newspaper edition dated Empowerment Phase II Thematic March 22, 2006 Evaluation: Voice and [3] http://www.incentive- Accountability. Accessed October destinations.com/rural_anegundi 4, 2010 at [4] http://www.eurogites.com - The http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documen ELK Asia Pacific Journals – Special Issue ISBN: 978-81-930411-0-9

ts/publications1/evaluation/wp7.p df [15] Equations (2007). Women in Tourism: Realities, Dilemmas and Opportunities. Accessed October 2, 2010 at http://www.scribd.com/doc/303262 03/Women-in-Tourism-Realities