Issues and Challenges with Empowerment of Tribal Women in India: A Forest-Based Study

The forest-based resources play significant importance in the lives of tribal women and their households in India. The livelihood of the tribal families is mainly dependent on Non-wood Forest Products (NWFP). These include the collection of kendu leaves for making tobacco, mahua flowers, mahua seeds, mushrooms, tamarind, and wild brooms. The tribal women contribute to a great extent in the collection and processing of NWFP along with the sale of the final products. Due to the existence of the forest, the food and financial security of the tribal households has been secured to a great extent. Sadly, these tribal women receive less compensation through dishonest middlemen due to illiteracy. Therefore, these indigenous women must enhance their skills to increase their income. The current article intends to investigate the amount of women's employment concerning forest products and the many fields in which these women might develop their skills to increase their income and empower their family.