Barriers to Empowerment: A Socio-Economic Analysis of Oraon Scheduled Tribal Women in Rural Jharkhand

For the development of a more inclusive framework in the country, the empowerment of women in tribal communities remains a critical challenge. The Oraon is among the largest tribal groups in Jharkhand. The contributions of Oraon women to the household economies, farming, and community are invaluable, and yet, they suffer from multiple forms of barriers without the social and economic support needed in the areas of education and health, employment, and decision-making. This paper attempts to understand the socio-economic barriers faced by tribal Oraon women in rural Jharkhand, and to identify and understand the structural and cultural dimensions explaining the absence of any meaningful socio-economic development. The focus of the study is to explore the barriers of inadequate education, the absence of economic engagement, poor health, prevailing social norms, and their impact on the overall reduction of women’s autonomy and quality of life. The study employs a descriptive research design and utilises both primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data for the study were obtained using fully structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with the selected members of the Oraon women’s community of rural villages, and secondary data were obtained from government documents, census data, and various publications. The findings were interpreted with the use of comparative and percentage analysis. The study identifies un/under education, lack of livelihood opportunities, restricted access to healthcare, and deep-rooted patriarchy as the main factors describing the disempowerment of Oraon women. The study indicates that, while there have been some improvements in the reach of government welfare schemes, there still remain deficiencies in information and implementation. The specific gaps highlight the need for more inclusive policies in education, training, and finance, and for a greater focus on the sustainabilit\/ of disempowerment of women policies for tribes.