SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEDULED TRIBES WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH SELF HELP GROUPS IN TAMILNADU: A VIEW

Entrepreneurs are widely regarded as one of the most important contributors to the economic development of a civilization. Entrepreneurs have long been credited with kicking off and maintaining socioeconomic development. Women's entrepreneurship is a relatively new notion in India. Women have become more aware of their rights and circumstances, and have entered various spheres of business. They have built successful company empires of their own. They contribute to the growth of the economy and the improvement of scheduled tribes' socio-economic situations. Women's empowerment is a priority for the Indian government, and several schemes have been implemented to help women entrepreneurs succeed. Women's participation in the workforce is increasing in India as the country's literacy rate rises. In some Indian states, the concept of Self Help Groups (SHGs) has proven to be a boon for rural women. It has improved not only their ?nancial situation but also their social standing. This paper also provides an overview of the work of self-help groups on scheduled tribes (SHGs) in Tamil Nadu. This article focuses on a variety of themes relating to women entrepreneurs in India, including their issues, challenges, and future prospects

Public Health Research and Scheduled Tribes: An ethical lens.

In this commentary, it is argued that greater attention paid to ethical considerations related to doing Public Health Research with Scheduled Tribes (STs) should be prioritized. Given the high levels of health needs among STs as well as their high levels of deprivation, cultural oppression, and impingement on their rights, there is a need to revisit our research practices to contribute to better health and overall empowerment. Specific strategies that could be integrated into research practice are offered. The paper concludes with a call for the development of national guidelines for Public Health Research with STs.

Malaria situation in India with special reference to tribal areas.

Background & objectives: In India, malaria is a major public health problem in states having predominantly tribal population. The objective of this analysis was to find out the incidence of malaria in various states/districts having varied proportions of tribal population using National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) data. Methods: States and districts were classified into three categories based on proportions of Scheduled Tribes (ST) population as <10, 10-29.9 and 30 per cent + ST population. Five year average (2008-2012) of all important malaria indicators collected by NVBDCP was taken to normalize the effect of annual fluctuations in malaria incidence. Results: State level analysis revealed that ten states/UTs with 30 per cent or more tribal population comprising only three per cent of total population, contributed 14 per cent of total malaria, 21 per cent Plasmodium falciparum and 29 per cent of deaths due to malaria. Similarly, district level analysis showed that districts with 30 per cent or more tribal population comprising about eight per cent country’s population contributed to 46 per cent of total malaria cases, 70 per cent P. falciparum and 47 per cent malarial deaths in the country. Interpretation & conclusions: our analysis showed that the neglect of the ethnic communities in tribal areas would be detrimental to the overall reduction of morbidity and mortality due to malaria. The fight against the increasing burden of malaria in tribal belt requires adoption of multiple approaches and socio-economic development of the tribal communities.

Use of Contraceptives and Unmet Need for Family Planning among Tribal Women in India and Selected Hilly States.

The paper provides a comprehensive picture of knowledge and use of contraceptives among scheduled tribes of India and selected central hilly states where tribal population contributes more than 30% of the total tribal population of the country. An attempt is also made to know how far scheduled tribes differ from non-tribes in the states, namely Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, using information collected in the third round of District-level Household Survey (DLHS-RCH III: 2007-2008). Bivariate analysis was used for understanding the level of knowledge, use of and unmet need for contraception among different tribal and non-tribal groups. Binary logistic regression was used for understanding the factors associated with the use of contraception and unmet need for family planning among tribal women. Knowledge and use of temporary contraceptive methods are considerably lower among tribal women compared to their non-tribal counterparts in the three states under study. Low acceptance due to phobia of adverse health consequences, accessibility to and lack of sound knowledge of contraception are the leading reasons for not using contraceptives. The unmet need for family planning among them was quite high, especially in the state of Jharkhand. Multivariate analysis substantiated the role of women and husbands’ education, age of women, and number of surviving boys in the use of any modern method of contraception. Educating women and their respective husbands about proper use and benefits of modern contraceptives is important to solve the problem of high unmet need for family planning among these tribal women. A simultaneous attention to the health systems strengthening component is crucial for ensuring sustained delivery of good-quality family planning services.