Freedom Through Livelihood: Fathoming the National and State Rural Livelihood Mission For Adivasi Women in Jharkhand

Abstract

The major thrust of the National Rural Livelihood Mission of 2011 (NRLM) is to eliminate multidimensional poverty in rural India through the means of enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities for the people. With growing interrelation between social exclusion and poverty for tribes, the aim of this dissertation is to help frame responsive and specific policy recommendations to overcome multidimensional poverty amongst Adivasi women in Jharkhand. This study focuses on understanding the relationship between the livelihood and freedom amongst the Adivasi women. The intersectionality of an Adivasi women in rural Jharkhand is central to the study as the real test of a policy can be measured by what it achieves for the most vulnerable section of the population. The dissertation makes use of the Sustainable Livelihood Framework and the Central Capabilities framework to comprehend the policy discourse with regards to the state’s response to eliminate poverty for marginalised sections of the society. Based on the findings, this study proposes recommendation which are a mix of incremental and systemic, as well as procedural and normative suggestions in order to better realise the goals of the National Rural Livelihood Mission while enhancing the capability set of the Adivasi woman in Jharkhand.