Women, Work and Social Status of Kinnaura Women

Social status gives us a dynamic concept and undergoes transformation with the changing conditions of life in terms of life chances and life styles. To assess the change, the methodology used in this paper is comparative and analyses the historical dimension of women's being and their contemporary status. This article is divided into four parts. First describes the women's state of being in Kinnaur in the past. Second discusses the women-centred approach and its parameters measuring the status of women. Third examines the empirical data in relation to the social status of women in the contemporary times. The parameters of status analyses include the education, economic-employment, income, participation in social and economic decision-making processes and empowerment, and the access to health-age at marriage, protection coverage, miscarriages and induced abortions, fertility and mortality. Finally, the paper concludes in the form of observations and issues for further consideration.1. Population Research Centre, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla–171 005