Ecologies of tradition and transformation: An anthropological study on hill Khadia women of Similipal

Abstract

In the current context of time and evident social change, gender inequality continues to haunt the paradigm of development across the world. As per various studies undertaken by researchers globally, reveals that women of the forest dependent indigenous communities continue to face multi faceted issues on the grounds of access and control of resources. The paper looks at the post-structural aspects of an ongoing process relating to social transformations with the community living around the forests, communities economy based on forest use and abuse, role of various reforms/policies relating to ownership of forests by the forest-dependent Hill Khadia communities living in Gudgudiya village in Similipal region of Mayurbhanj. The paper will attempt to portray the scenario of gender-lenses, the socio-cultural profile of Khadia women and their dependence on the forest. The study will also highlight the forest based policy implementation struggles and rights assertion by these women as a part of the Hill Khadia Community, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) living in Similipal while highlighting some evident traditional knowledge with respect to their dependence and eco-sustainable management of forest. Along with this it will also highlight the various peripheral concerns in the form of conflicts surfacing time and again by the Hill Khadia women of Gudgudiya. However, no specific studies have been made up so far on this aspect, hence making it very crucial in the current context. The study is a part of the doctoral research that the author has carried out.