WOMEN'S PERCEPTION ON GENDER INEQALITY AND THEIR VARIATION WITH TO ECOLOGIAL ZONES OF KUMAON HILLS

Present study is an attempt to explore and access gender description among
rural women through the women’s view point. The study area is the Eastern division
of Himalayan state of Uttarakhand (India). Keeping in view the vast ecological
variation the study area is divided into four ecological zones named as Shiwaliks,
Lesser Himalaya, Great Himalaya and Trance Himalaya. Stratified random sampling
technique was used to select 25 villages from study area giving due representation to
each ecological zones. Descriptive statistical techniques were used for the analysis of
the data. The general status of women was reported low to very low by 95.46 percent
of respondents. Social environment, less productive subsistence agriculture resulted
in drudger were the main causes. The discrimination against women was reported by
47.47 percent respondents. Lack of education and lack of employment and
Independent economic status was reported the main cause for it. 63.13 percent
respondents had the opinion that there is no equal opportunity in education,
employment and economic activities for women. The causes for this discriminationwere the prevailing tradition and lack of social freedom and independence in decision
making. Interestingly 95.45 percent women differentiated between their male and
female children; with major cause that male child is the heir of the family and the
future bread earner. A big intra zonal variation was found; especially between the
women of Trans Himalayan Bhotiya tribe and the rest Kumaonies. Because of their
less conservative society, trade & handicraft oriented economy and lesser importance
to agriculture and animal husbandry, women of Trans Himalayan zone suffered lesser
discrimination and avail more opportunity.