WOMEN LABOUR IN THE CHANGING TRIBAL ECONOMY OF A TRIBAL AREA IN RAJASTHAN, INDIA

Introduction Tribal women labour of Tribal Sub Plan Area (TSP) in Rajasthan operates today in an economy which is no more secluded but is under a specially designed development programme. Since the Five Year Development Plan of India, the main aim has been to promote the education and economic development of scheduled tribes and to protect them from social injustice and economic exploitation (TSP in Rajasthan, 1986–87). As a result tribal economy is facing a change. Moreover, the tribal economy and its people are exposed today more than before to non‐tribals and their social and ethical norms, and consequently, a change in the economic condition of tribal women is likely to occur. Enough information is not available about the changes which have taken place among the tribal women in the tribal belt of Rajasthan since the operation of the Fifth Plan. Hence, attempts have been made to find out how far these changes affected the tribal women labour in the district of Dungarpur, in the State of Rajasthan. This study is thereby, mainly about the women labour of Bhil tribe, a predominant tribe of the district of Dungarpur. Empirical results are presented in this paper.