Women Empowerment through Household Industries A Case Study of Alipurduar District West Bengal

Abstract

Following independence, the status of Indian women underwent radical changes. As a result of cultural and institutional improvements, women s exploitation has decreased significantly, and women now have equal opportunities in various sectors. The role of women has changed tremendously, and they have created a positive impression in society. For a long time, the country has had an outstanding record of recognising the importance of women s empowerment. Empowering women is among the primary objectives in India s 9th Five Year Plan (1997-2002), and the Government of India declared 2001 as the year of women s empowerment. India s customary tradition has shifted due to the government s initiatives to promote women s business, as well as the rise of industrialisation, urbanisation, and a shift in educational trends. Women are increasingly choosing self-employment. This is evident by the positive response to various institutions programs to develop entrepreneurship designed explicitly for women. The informal sector employs the overwhelming majority of Indian employees. Due to the irregular nature of work in the Indian economy, low-income women workers are the most vulnerable communities in the informal sector. Women must be financially, socially, educationally, professionally, politically, and legally self-sufficient to be empowered. All other elements in improving their financial stability, whether searching for a job, self-employment, or becoming an entrepreneur, are built on economic empowerment. In this regard, the researcher has raised two significant points: whether women have been empowered or not. Is industrial activity advantageous to the empowerment of women? In this context, a study was conducted in Alipurduar District on women s empowerment through household-based enterprises, to investigate the impact of various social, economic, and political aspects on newlinewomen s empowerment. This research was done to see if real empowerment comes through household-based industrial activities. Since agriculture and formal