Women in Tribal Society: Balancing Multiple Roles in a Family

Women in India always carry out their „dual responsibilities‟ in and outside the domicile. Their roles hold significance not only in economic activities, but also in non-economic bustles. Tribal women inhabiting in the interior pockets of India occupy an economically significant place in their respective households and society in general. The present study corroborates the premise that women status is high when they contribute substantially to primary subsistence activities. Although they lack control of material and social resources, their contribution to subsistence economy give them important and irreversible position. It tries to ccomprehend the status and position of women in the studied society, accesses their extent of participation in different economic activities and also examines their role and responsibilities in household care and maintenance. The study has been conducted in three villages namely Pahadpur, Tileighutu and Dighia Beda in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. All the three villages are multi-ethnic in composition where scheduled tribes like Santal, Munda and Ho (Kalha) live together. The empirical data have been collected from the field using anthropological methods like observation (both participant and non-participant), interview, and focused group discussion. Few voices have also been recorded to present the inner feelings of these women in different economic activities. In a nutshell, it is understood that women can merely be appreciated on their individual stipulations. Burden and responsibility of women are huge, as woman has double play either for being a mother in the household or a woman in the other womanly responsibilities. Equality between men and women will not be a waste of time effort if women act upon her ability to be competitive with men to their womanhood.

Keywords: Tribal women, role, status, economic activities, household.