Tribal Livelihood Practices and Food Security: A Study on Role and Responsibility of Tribal Women in Odisha (India)
- August 8, 2018
- Posted by: RSIS
- Category: Social Science
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume V, Issue VII, July 2018 | ISSN 2321–2705
Rajadarshini Patra
Independent Researcher & Visiting Faculty (Women’s Studies)
Research Director, Center for Child Welfare and Social Development, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
I. INTRODUCTION
The Beijing declaration of 1995 promised a better world! A world in which women would have equal rights, an equal share in all spheres of society, where women would be empowered and human rights would be women rights! A special platform during the Beijing conference was devoted to ‘gender and environment’, linking gender inequality to lack of access to resources and food insecurity. Since independence Government of India and Government of various states have taken lots of initiation for development of tribal livelihoods. Lots of programmes are implemented for sustaining their livelihoods. The development policy for the tribals has changed its strategy continuously in search of sustainability. The social scientists have laid emphasis on the importance of cultural fabric of the tribal world to accelerate this process.
Coping strategies used in response to crisis further contribute to the erosion of livelihoods. Food security as defined by FAO is the condition when all people have equal access to sufficient and nutritious food all time. The two main reasons why livelihood and food security issues remain critical for a country like India are (1) the heavy dependence of the majority of the population on the agricultural sector for employment and as a source of income and (2) the large number of undernourished people, the majority of whom are below the poverty line and spend a considerable proportion of their total income on food. Nearly 70% of the country’s population lives in rural areas . And the agricultural sector provides employment to about 60 percent of the country’s total labour force. Livelihood and food security usually go side by side. There is no such different between these two concepts and the availability of sufficient food to each member determines the livelihood progress of that household.
