Economic Empowerment of Muslim Women: A Study of Guwahati city, Assam

Abstract

Women are economically vulnerable section of society. Generally female folk irrespective of their ethno-religious identities largely depends upon male for survival. This scenario compels UNO to organized first Women Conference which was held in Mexico in 1975. After the conference UNO declared 1975 to 1985 as women decade and asked its member country to take necessary steps towards gender equality. The UN report said that, ‘women constitute half of the world population, perform nearly 2/3 of its working hour and occupy less than one tenth of the world’s property’. The report was publication long 39 years ago and during last 39  years lots of changes came in the socio-economic, political cultural sectors of man’s life. Along with these, women’s socio-economic, political, educational conditions also change all over the world. In India, women folk constitute 48% of the country’s total population. Over the year women’s literacy rate, political participation, age at marriage increases. In India, women’s labor force participation is only 20% and rest of 80% engaged in unorganized sector (http://www.projectunnati.in  downloaded on 2.8.2024). Though the report gives very gloomy picture about women’s worksforce participation but comparison to earlier decade it increases. Again, in micro level wide variation of work force participation are found because different community of the country shows different attitude towards women’s property ownership, workforce participation etc. Muslim society’s attitude towards women’s economic activity, property inheritance etc. are guided by Shariya law. The man centric Shariya law deny to give equal property right to women and also claim that in Islam women’s earning is not pious. On the light of above present paper made an attempt to understand the economic empowerment of Muslim women living in Guwahati city.