EMPOWERMENT OF TRIBAL WOMEN: IMPORTANCE OF FOREST RIGHTS ACT 2006 - A STUDY

The Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006, officially known as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, acknowledges the equal land ownership rights of tribal women alongside men. This study examines the impact of women's rights to forest land and resources on their socio-economic status, focusing on two critical aspects of empowerment: "access to resources" and "women's agency." While access to essential resources like water, cooking fuel, and healthcare facilities remains limited, the allocation of land under the Act has made only a marginal difference to the economic standing of women who have received plots. However, it has significantly boosted the confidence of women, particularly widows, who are no longer considered asset-less. Land ownership has empowered women to question prevailing social practices, such as polygyny. Although the Act falls short in actively encouraging women's participation in the public sphere, improvements in their social engagement and mobility have been attributed to training and access to information facilitated by community-based organizations.