Category Archives: Women

“[T]here is no social bias against women in tribal communities such as there exists among the middle castes, especially landed ones. Women can ask for a divorce, and in many communities, money is paid to the girl’s family at the time of marriage.” – Abhay Bang, the award-winning doctor and social activist from Gadchiroli in Maharashtra quoted by S. Rukmini in “Higher sex ratio among tribal, SC groups: census” (The Hindu, 31 October 2013)
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/higher-sex-ratio-among-tribal-sc-groups-census/article5300478.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=22068

“It’s high time we recognise the contributions of tribal women in Indian literature.” – Devendra Kumar Devesh of Sahitya Akademi
on the occasion of a two-day meet organised by Sahitya Akademi in association with Jharkhandi Bhasha Sahitya Sanskriti Akhra to commemorate the birth centenary of Alice Ekka, the country’s first acclaimed woman tribal writer (The Telegraph, Jharkhand, 8 September 2017)
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170908/jsp/jharkhand/story_171464.jsp
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=22856

“Women’s rights are human rights. But in these troubled times, as our world becomes more unpredictable and chaotic, the rights of women and girls are being reduced, restricted and reversed. Empowering women and girls is the only way to protect their rights and make sure they can realize their full potential.” – UN Secretary-General’s Message for International Women’s Day 2017
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2017/3/statement-sg-international-womens-day-2017
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=21750

“The Irula Tribal Women’s Welfare Society (ITWWS), established in 1986, is a women’s community-based development organization […] using the Irula tribal knowledge of forest resources for economic prosperity.” – The Times of India (“Irula’s tribal secrets unraveled”, 29 March 2005)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1064853.cms
Watch a video by Praise Foundation on the manner in which the Irula Tribal Women’s Welfare Society empowers Irula women by promoting their medicinal products: “This revival of traditional healing systems addresses public health needs as well as conserves Irula culture and expertise.”
https://youtu.be/hc1lK1vIKNY
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=16322

“Every village [in Bastar] has its own ‘super-woman’, a plant collector par excellence, in whose house one inevitably finds unusual foods.” – Madhu Ramnath in “Within the world of food collection” (india-seminar.com, Contested Cultures, February 2018)
www.india-seminar.com/2018/702/702_madhu_ramnath.htm
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=24941

“Tracing the rise of patriarchy to class-based ‘civilisations’ and the diminishing role of women in such societies, Chris Harman, in his book ‘A People’s History of the World’, says in hunter-gatherer societies, there was no male supremacy over women as there was almost always a division of labour between the sexes, with the men doing most of the hunting and the women most of the gathering. […] Today, when most societies consider themselves highly advanced compared with our ‘barbaric’ ancestors, the position of women in society has changed little.” – Cover story “Women in India: A reality check”, Frontline Magazine (January 25, 2013) 
http://www.frontline.in/cover-story/women-in-india-a-reality-check/article4275963.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=18066

“Piplantri has turned almost into an oasis and it is surrounded by a large number of trees. ‘My daughter is seven years now. I have seen these trees and my daughter grow up together. Initially, not all villagers agreed to follow the idea of planting 111 saplings. Now, it’s no less than any ritual in our village,’ said Shantu Bhil, a tribal from Piplantri village. Another resident of Piplantri village said that it was for the first time he decided to bring up his daughter just like a son. Despite being a school teacher he never sent his daughter to a school.” – Abhishek Gaur in “Eco-feminism drive wins accolades” (Deccan Herald, 5 April 2015)
Address: https://www.deccanherald.com/content/469775/eco-feminism-drive-wins-accolades.html
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?page_id=5208

Joint efforts, not denials, make India a safer place for girls and women – West Bengal & Madhya Pradesh

Posted on 27/02/2021 by website administrator

Why am I returning repeatedly to the theme of rape, I puzzled, as I began this blog post. Because, I realized, the problem’s become worse, not better. Rape stories are headlined practically every day. This morning, I read that a … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi / Adibasi, Childhood and children, Customs, Figures, census and other statistics, Misconceptions, Modernity, Press snippets, Quotes, Rural poverty, Seven Sister States, Women | Comments Off on Joint efforts, not denials, make India a safer place for girls and women – West Bengal & Madhya Pradesh

Census 2011 – Rural-Urban Distribution

Posted on 22/02/2021 by website administrator

Nearly 70 per cent of the country’s population lives in rural areas where, for the first time since independence, the overall growth rate of population has sharply declined, according to the latest Census. Of the 121 crore Indians, 83.3 crore … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Figures, census and other statistics, Globalization, Government of India, Modernity, Press snippets, Regions of India, Rural poverty, Seven Sister States, Women | Comments Off on Census 2011 – Rural-Urban Distribution

ePub | Museum of Santal Culture: A Catalogue on Santal Cultural Items – West Bengal

Posted on 19/02/2021 by website administrator

Tips Use the full screen optio for convenient reading Audio (speaking) is available for English text at different speeds To learn more about specific items and their usage, type words like “instrument”, “ornament”, “drum”, “flute”, “puppetry”, “dress”, “ceremony”, “fish” etc. in search … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Anthropology, Childhood and children, Community facilities, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Eastern region, Economy and development, ePub & eJournal, Fashion and design, Games and leisure time, Homes and utensils, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature and bibliographies, Museum collections - India, Music and dance, Musicology, Names and communities, Organizations, Performing arts, Photos and slideshows, Puppetry, Revival of traditions, Seasons and festivals, Success story, Tribal identity, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off on ePub | Museum of Santal Culture: A Catalogue on Santal Cultural Items – West Bengal

Tip | Ten success stories from all over India: Arts and crafts, community service, democracy, education, fashion, film, health, literature, performing arts and women’s achievements

Posted on 13/02/2021 by website administrator

Community facilities >>Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan, “an Abode of Learning Unlike Any in the World” | Learn more >> Crafts and visual arts >>Araku Museum: “Like being in the world of local tribes” | Learn more >> Democracy >>Trust India’s “village republics” to bring in some … Continue reading →

Posted in Community facilities, Cultural heritage, Ecology and environment, Education and literacy, Fashion and design, Health and nutrition, Misconceptions, Music and dance, Performing arts, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Regions of India, Revival of traditions, Storytelling, Success story, Tips, Women | Comments Off on Tip | Ten success stories from all over India: Arts and crafts, community service, democracy, education, fashion, film, health, literature, performing arts and women’s achievements

Listen patiently to the tribals, with their immense knowledge and creativity: The key to preserving nature while ending widespread exploitation and stigmatization of women

Posted on 06/02/2021 by website administrator

“In contemporary practice, the tribal memory is greatly undermined. There is general insistence that tribal children attend schools where non-tribal children attend schools, that they use medicines manufactured for others and that they adopt common agricultural practices. All because the … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Childhood and children, Cultural heritage, Customs, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Nature and wildlife, Quotes, Resources, Success story, Women | Comments Off on Listen patiently to the tribals, with their immense knowledge and creativity: The key to preserving nature while ending widespread exploitation and stigmatization of women