Globalization and Tribal WomenA presentation on the impact of globalization on tribal women in India.

Globalization is diffusion of practices, values and technology that have an influence on people’s lives worldwide. Globalization involves economic integration; the transfer of policies across borders; the transmission of knowledge; cultural stability the reproduction, relations, and discourses of power; it is a global process, a concept, a revolution and “an establishment of the global market free from socio-political control.” India started the process of economic globalization in the early of 1978 by taking small steps and during the 1991, the major

policy changes were adopted and India opened up for liberalization and privatization.

TRIBE

Meaning of a ‘tribe’ The word 'tribe' is generally used for a "socially

cohesive unit, associated with a territory, the members of which regard them as politically autonomous”.

In India, the Scheduled Tribes are usually referred to as Adivasis, which literally means indigenous peoples.

In the book Globalization on the ground, Steve Derne argues that the effects of globalization on existing cultural values differ among social groups.

Some of the groups, for whom globalization has brought little change in economic position and opportunities, has resisted changes to existing ideas about family, marriage and gender relations.

TRIBALL INDIAIndia have the second largest tribal population in the world

India is characterized by having second largest tribal population in the world

The tribal population is more than the total population of France and Britain and four times that of Australia.

The population of tribal communities scheduled in the Constitution of India and known as Scheduled Tribes (STs) comprise about 16.6 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively, of India's population (according to the 2011 census) and accounts for 8.2% of the total population. 4.26 crores are man and 4.17 crores are women.

According to the Anthropological Survey a total of 4,635 communities are now to be found in India. Out of this total, ‘tribal’ or Indigenous communities number 732.

The largest concentrations of indigenous peoples are found in the seven states of north-east India, and the “central tribal belt” stretching from Rajasthan to West Bengal.

There are over 700 Scheduled Tribes notified under Article 342 of the Constitution of India, spread over different States and Union Territories of the country. Many tribes are present in more than one state. The largest numbers of scheduled tribes are in the states of Orissa

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The impact of globalization on the Indigenous communities is manifold, and often they are ones most negatively affected.

Policies of the central government, especially in areas like education, health, public distribution system, industrial policy, had made far reaching consequence in the economy and society of the state.

The impact of globalization is strongest on tribal populations because these communities have no voice and are therefore easily swept aside by the invisible hand of the market and its proponents.

When majority of the communities in the world are changing their life-styles, competing with each other and developing materialistic instincts to keep pace with the “progress” of the world, there are communities still living in line with their traditional values, customs and beliefs.

Negative affects Under globalization, it is the tribal Indigenous

areas that have had to face the attacks of massive developmental projects.

Even after the sixty years of formation of the state tribals continue as one of the most marginalized community within the state, the post globalized developmental projects and developmental dreams of the state has again made the deprivation of the tribals and the developmental divide has increased between the tribal and non-tribal.

Tribal women face problems and challenges in getting a sustainable livelihood and a decent life due to environmental degradation and the interference of outsiders

SOCIO-ECONOMICS ROLES

Collection of minor forest produce is done mostly by women and children. Many also work as laborers in industries, households and construction, contributing to their family income.

The status of the tribal women usually depends on the economic roles they play. The tribals in the past were usually forest dwellers and their livelihood to a great extent depended on the food-gathering economy. More than the men, the women walked long distances to fetch wood and fodder. Besides, they also collected fruits, roots and tubers, lac, gums and leaves for self-consumption and sale. The men also complemented them by collecting timber and logs. They climbed the trees to shake down the fruits that were gathered on the ground by women. As there has been large scale deforestation, women have to slog harder to retain the gathering economy.

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In recent years, due to the population explosion and in-migration, the jhum cultivation is gradually losing its viability. Besides, due to the capitalist policies of the state jhum cultivation is giving way to permanent terraced wet-rice cultivation. Multi-cropping practices too are getting lost and the emphasis on mono-cropping is being laid. Cash crops and horticulture are also being preferred. In the process women are losing their labour work and in many places of the North-East like Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, migrant male labourers are being employed.

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Tribals have also opted for settled cultivation in place of the forest-based economy. They are also preferring to raise cash crops and exotic high-breed crops. In the process the women are getting displaced from their work. In West Bengal, the Santhal women in groups migrate down or go for ‘namal’ down to the southern districts for weeding and transplanting after completing the cultivation work in their own dry areas.For quite some time the tribes have been exposed to industries in central India. There have come many big and small dams and many development projects as well.The women suffer all the more as they get sexually abused. Besides, they are paid much less as compared to the men.

Undoubtedly, the programmes, which are oriented towards the empowerment of tribals, particularly women, have improved the socio-economic conditions and status of some tribes. However, there are wide variations across regions and tribes in terms of work participation, sex ratio, economic productivity and social life.

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Tribal Women in AgricultureOver 80% of tribals work in the primary sector against 53% of the general populationAbout 45% are cultivators against 32.5% of the general populationA tribal woman can participate actively in all agricultural operations In agriculturally back ward areas, tribal women are forbidden to touch a plough and can not dig the ground but in all other agricultural operations, women participate actively and traditionally these are a female’s job. Processing of food grain is exclusively a woman’s job.Tribal Women in Ecological DevelopmentEcofeminism considers that: (a) there is a distinct relationship between women and the environment, (b) women have certain responsibilities which make them dependent on nature and (c) women have an extensive knowledge of natural resources.

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Tribal Women and Forests Tribals have been residing in forest areas for

generations, cultivating land and collecting non-timber forest produce.

Preparing food and providing for drinking water is solely women’s responsibility so they operate closely with the forests from where they get water, fuel and minor products

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TRIBE TRAFFICKING

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Most traffickers are known to families one way or other

They either live in the same community or neighboring villages.

Often they operate through intermediaries in the villages. Oblivious to the evils of the larger world, gullible tribals are the softest targets.

Over the years haats and melas, such as the Jagannath chariot festival, have become hotbed of intermediaries and traffickers to track potential candidates. These huge gatherings are social platforms where boys and girls mingle. Targeted young girls are often lured with the promise of marriage and taken outside Jharkhand.

The tribal women in the North-East were famous for their weaving skills. Almost every tribal girl used to learn weaving at home. But now with commercialisation of the products, the women have lost control over the designs as the market has come to be the decisive factor.

The tribal women in India have virtually no role to play in the social and political spheres.The tribal women had no place in the village councils. The women were never represented in the traditional panchayats. It is only now, due to the mandatory provisions of the state, that some women are getting elected in the panchayats .But even in such cases, usually the women are dictated by husbands or relatives who already wielded enough power in the locality.

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CONCLUSION

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In India, if a woman belong to a schedule tribe, then she is the most deprived. They might play key role in the tribal economy but their status always remain same. With the globalization of Indian society, theoretically, the tribals are encouraged to come out of their social sphere and be a part of the ‘mainstream’ society. But in practice, when they come out, they are exploited and trafficked illegally. Globalization and so called ‘development’ may focus on uplifting the tribal women by providing legal assistance and other such facilities, but the problem is that of creating opportunities in the society.

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REFERENCES

Tribal women development and integration Socio-economic empowerment of tribal women Globalization and the plight of tribals: the case of kerla Government of India (2001), Census of India, 2001] Government of India (2011), Census of India, 2011 Ministry of Tribal Affairs (2013) Annual Report 2012-13, Government of

India “Jharkhand haats, melas hotbeds of

traffickers”(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jharkhand-haats-melas-hotbeds-of-traffickers/articleshow/38769452.cms)

http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article3314.html

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