Women and Gender in the Study of Tribes in India

Abstract

Concern for a focus on women in tribal studies has been very recent. It emerged out of general interest and concern with women’s issues the world over. The value system governing larger Indian society has been in the process of change. With this there has been a shift in the image of tribal women who are thus invariably portrayed as enjoying a better social status than their counterparts in the larger Indian society. Tribal society in the post-Independence era has been witness to unprecedented change, which has been most marked in respect of culture, modes of making a living and social differentiation. Their bearing on women’s status in society and gender relations has been far-reaching. The article attempts to highlight the issues involved on the basis of existing ethnographic accounts.