UNLOCKING TIME, UNLOCKING POTENTIAL: HOW JJM ENHANCES WOMENS PARTICIPATION IN SHGS IN DIMA HASAO, ASSAM

The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), launched to ensure universal access to household tap water, has created new possibilities for rural womens empowerment especially in remote tribal districts like Dima Hasao in Assam. This study proposes to investigate how JJMs successful implementation in villages with maximum FHTC coverage influences womens engagement in Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by freeing up time and improving their socio-economic agency.The research will focus on two selected villages in Dima Hasao with the highest FHTC saturation, chosen to represent best-case scenarios of JJMs infrastructural impact. Adopting a mixed-methods design, the study will gather data through structured household surveys administered to women beneficiaries. Key indicators will include changes in time spent on water collection, participation in SHG meetings and income-generating activities, and perceived shifts in personal and community roles. In addition, qualitative methods including focus group discussions and key informant interviews with SHG leaders and local water governance stakeholders will provide contextual understanding of how water access translates into empowerment in a tribal setting. Digital tools will be used to collect and geo-tag responses, ensuring data integrity and visual documentation.By grounding the study in the high-performing villages of Dima Hasao, this research aims to generate focused, evidence-based insights into the relationship between water infrastructure and womens collective empowerment. The outcomes are expected to inform scalable strategies for integrating SHG development with rural infrastructure schemes in alignment with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.