Rural Women and Sustainable Development - A Study on Malayali Tribes of Sitheri Hills

The rural women form a considerable percentage of population in rural India. Rural women are important agents for growth and development. They bring societal changes for sustainable development. They are doing invaluable contributions to the rural development. They are effectively tackling the dual responsibilities of work and home. They actively participate in local governance and they are important stakeholders in Panchayat Raj Institutions. They are largely involved in agriculture. They can improve the livelihoods of families and communities in a very big way. Work participation rate is higher in rural women, when compared to urban women. Women are active agents of rural development by formation of network of Self Help Groups. Rural development is acutely affected by the lack of sustainability in the projects and programs sanctioned by government and executed by government machinery and NGOs. Rural women play an important role in the growth of village economy. Malayali tribes of Sitheri hills are of such isolated rural centric people where the burden of shouldering family day to affair depends on the women. The lack of consistent job force men folk of that village to go too far off places to fetch job even it is of illegal. Research scholar intends to understand the issues affecting women folk and in general the sustainable job for them. The paper will enlighten issues that affect the development of the Malayali tribal women and the causes for the underdevelopment despite efforts from government and NGOs. Paper will further bring out the consistent issues that affect the sustainability in developing the women and in general Malayali tribes of Sitheri hills.