ROLE OF EDUCATION IN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT --A STUDY ON ASSAM.

Abstract

The paper is an attempt to analyze the status of women in Assam in comparison to the male counterparts and their empowerment in terms of various socio economic and political indicators. Assam is one of the eighth states of the North East India. It is one of largest state of the region in terms of population with a heterogeneous cultural background. Since it has been experiencing insurgency and ethnic strife for the last three decades, its economic and social set up is under threat. The worst victims in this process are the ‘WOMEN’. Though Assam is free from few social evils like dowry , sati system , female feticide , yet because it is largely dominated by tribal and indigenous culture, there exists a plethora of gender discrimination .Based on a study on collection of secondary data , it has come to light that the development process is not gender neutral . Women in Assam enjoy quite an inferior status as compared to the average women in India. Although the government has undertaken a number of steps to create gender equality, yet situation still remains gloomy because women in Assam are still over tied up with the baseless age old social customs .Hence there is a need to create awareness towards achieving the desired goal of women empowerment in the state. There cannot be a better tool than ‘EDUCATION’ to empower a women. The bread maker of the family is to be converted into the bread earner of the family.