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In e na ional Jou nal o Ad ance and Applied Resea ch
www.ijaa .co.in
ISSN – 2347-7075
Impac Fac o – 8.141
Pee Re iewed
Bi-Mon hly
Vol. 6 No. 40
Sep embe - Oc obe - 2025
Educa ional and Economic Backwa dness o Scheduled T ibe Women in
Ma a hwada: Causes
D . Da a ya Baban ao Kale
Co esponding Au ho – D . Da a ya Baban ao Kale
DOI - 10.5281/zenodo.17663910
Abs ac :
This pape examines he educa ional and economic challenges aced by Scheduled T ibe (ST)
women in Ma a hwada, a egion in Maha ash a, India. D awing om P ima y and seconda y
sou ces, i iden i ies key ac o s such as geog aphical isola ion, po e y, cul u al no ms, and
inadequa e in as uc u e con ibu ing o hei backwa dness. Despi e go e nmen ini ia i es,
pe sis en gende dispa i ies in li e acy and employmen limi empowe men , wi h emale li e acy
a es o en below 65% and economic eliance on subsis ence ag icul u e. Child ma iage is e y
common in Scheduled a eas in ma a hwada. T anspo a ion acili ies a e e y less connec ed o
u ban a eas. Majo i y o ST people a e unemployed and depends on hun ing and ishing.
In oduc ion:
Ma a hwada is one o he majo
egions o Maha ash a, consis ing o Ch.
Sambhajinaga , Nanded, La u , Pa bhani,
Beed, Jalna, Dha ashi , and Hingoli dis ic s.
This egion has a signi ican popula ion o
Scheduled T ibes (ST), including Bhil, Gond,
Koli, Andh, Thaka , and o he s. Acco ding o
he 2011 Census, he ibal popula ion o
Maha ash a is a ound 10.5%, wi h a la ge
concen a ion in Nanded dis ic whe e ibes
such as Andh, Koli, and Thaka a e ound in
conside able numbe s.
The educa ional and economic s a us
o women in hese communi ies is ex emely
weak. Li e acy a es a e e y low, and he
emale li e acy a e is o en hal ha o men.
Economically, mos women a e engaged in
adi ional ag icul u e, o es p oduce
collec ion, and domes ic wo k, which p e en s
hem om gaining inancial independence.
This weak si ua ion hampe s hei social
empowe men and aps hem in a cycle o
po e y, heal h p oblems, and exploi a ion.
This pape analyzes he majo causes
o his backwa dness, ocusing on social,
cul u al, economic, geog aphical, and
adminis a i e ac o s. The s udy is based on
a ailable esea ch and da a, o e ing a deepe
unde s anding o he issue.
Objec i e:
1. The p ima y objec i e is o analyze he
oo causes o educa ional and economic
backwa dness among ST women in
Ma a hwada.
2. highligh ing gende -speci ic ba ie s.
3. p oposing he need o a ge ed
in e en ions o p omo e equi y and
de elopmen .
4. Resea ch o de elopmen o ST
women.
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D . Da a ya Baban ao Kale
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Resea ch Me hodology:
This s udy depends on a p ima y and
seconda y esea ch app oach h ough li e a u e
e iew. Da a we e ga he ed om in e iews,
su ey, place isi , academic pape s, census
epo s, and s udies on ST communi ies in
India, wi h a ocus on Maha ash a and
Ma a hwada. Sou ces include Census 2011
da a and schola ly a icles accessed ia web
sea ches. Quali a i e analysis syn hesizes
easons o backwa dness, emphasizing
empi ical indings om ibal-speci ic
esea ch.
Hypo hesis:
1. Scheduled ibe women a e
economically e y backwa d.
2. Scheduled ibe women a e educa ionaly
backwa d.
3. Scheduled ibe women did no ge
bene i s go e nmen schemes.
Majo Causes:
1. Economic Backwa dness and Po e y:
The p ima y cause o he weak
condi ion o Scheduled T ibe women in
Ma a hwada is economic dep i a ion. Mos
ibal amilies li e below he po e y line, wi h
o e 90% dependen on adi ional ag icul u e
and o es -based li elihoods. In Nanded
dis ic , ibal women ace economic p oblems
mainly due o po e y, unemploymen , and
deb . They also ace exploi a ion ega ding
land and o es esou ces, which p e en s
inancial s abili y.
Because o po e y, gi ls a e o en
unable o a end school, as hey a e equi ed o
help wi h household cho es, ake ca e o
siblings, and assis in a m wo k. S udies show
ha economic ha dship con ibu es hea ily o
school d opou s among gi ls, especially a e
p ima y educa ion. Fo ins ance, in
Maha ash a’s ibal egions, he emale
li e acy a e is limi ed o only 40–50%, mainly
due o economic obs acles. This c ea es a
icious cycle, whe e lack o educa ion educes
employmen oppo uni ies, u he ein o cing
po e y.
2. Social and Cul u al Ba ie s:
Social and cul u al ac o s a e ano he
key eason. T ibal socie ies in Ma a hwada a e
p edominan ly pa ia chal, whe e women a e
gi en a seconda y s a us. Ea ly ma iage and
household esponsibili ies a e p io i ized o e
educa ion o gi ls. Cul u al adi ions o en
discou age educa ion, leading o disin e es
among amilies in sending hei daugh e s o
school.
Examples include child ma iage,
supe s i ions, and igid adi ions, which
hinde women’s educa ion and economic
de elopmen . T ibal women in Maha ash a
also ace social disc imina ion, wi h ewe
educa ional oppo uni ies and limi ed decision-
making powe compa ed o men. In dis ic s
like Nanded and Pa bhani, d opou a es
among ibal gi ls a e pa icula ly high due o
he combined p essu e o po e y and social
expec a ions. S udies sugges ha many ibal
amilies do no alue gi ls’ educa ion, iewing
hei p ima y ole as being con ined o
household and ag icul u al du ies.
Consequen ly, women emain economically
dependen and ulne able o exploi a ion by
moneylende s o ou side s.
3. Geog aphical Isola ion and Lack o
In as uc u e:
Many ibal a eas in Ma a hwada a e
hilly, o es ed, and emo e, making access o
schools and economic oppo uni ies di icul .
Lack o adequa e schools, eache
absen eeism, and insu icien acili ies (such as
oile s and d inking wa e ) u he discou age
gi ls om a ending school. In dis ic s like
Hingoli and Beed, many ibal illages a e
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D . Da a ya Baban ao Kale
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loca ed a om main oads, making a el o
schools unsa e o gi ls.
Economically, his geog aphical
isola ion limi s access o ma ke s and job
oppo uni ies, o cing women o ely on
adi ional, low-income ac i i ies. S udies
show ha such isola ion con ibu es o li e acy
le els among ibal women being lowe han
he na ional a e age, while also es ic ing
access o essen ial acili ies like banking and
ma ke s. This ein o ces economic weakness
and p e en s women om acqui ing new
skills.
4. Weaknesses in Go e nmen Policies and
Implemen a ion:
The Indian Cons i u ion (A icle 46)
p o ides o he educa ional and economic
de elopmen o Scheduled T ibes.
Go e nmen schemes such as pos -ma ic
schola ships, ibal women empowe men
p og ams, and special inancial assis ance a e
a ailable. Howe e , in Ma a hwada, he
implemen a ion o hese schemes is weak.
Lack o awa eness, co up ion, and
adminis a i e hu dles o en p e en bene i s
om eaching he in ended popula ion. Fo
example, in Maha ash a, only abou 20–30%
o ibal women a e able o access he schemes
mean o hem. As a esul , nei he
educa ional no economic de elopmen is
achie ed. S udies con i m ha despi e
go e nmen ini ia i es, he acili ies p o ided
in ibal a eas emain inadequa e, lea ing
women in a ulne able s a e.
5. Poli ical backwa dness o Scheduled
T ibe (ST) Women:
Scheduled ibe women in he
Ma a hwada egion could e e o hei limi ed
ep esen a ion, pa icipa ion, and in luence in
poli ical p ocesses. This can mani es in
a ious ways:
Low ep esen a ion in local
go e nance, s a e legisla u e, o o he
poli ical bodies
Limi ed access o poli ical ne wo ks
and esou ces
Ba ie s o oicing hei conce ns and
needs in poli ical spaces
Challenges in ge ing hei issues
add essed by policymake s
Fac o s con ibu ing o his
backwa dness migh include socio-economic
cons ain s, lack o educa ion, and en enched
cas e dynamics a ec ing hei abili y o
engage in poli ics.
Conclusion:
Educa ionally, economically,
poli ically and socially backwa dness o
scheduled ibe women . No de eloped
ag icul u e, no p ope de eloped hospi al
sys em and no awa e o go e nmen
acili ies. Lo o womens depends on
ag icul u e. Lo o child ma iage happen in
ST amilies and high a e o domes ic
iolence.
Sugges ions and Recommenda ions:
1. The educa ional and economic
backwa dness o Scheduled T ibe
women in Ma a hwada is a
mul idimensional p oblem a ising
om po e y, social disc imina ion,
geog aphical isola ion, and weak
implemen a ion o go e nmen
schemes.
2. To change his si ua ion, he
go e nmen mus s eng hen policy
implemen a ion by:
Es ablishing schools and hos els in
emo e a eas
3. Launching skill de elopmen
p og ams o women
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D . Da a ya Baban ao Kale
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4. Conduc ing awa eness campaigns o
amilies and communi ies
5. Go e nmen should launch ag icul u e
de elopmen p og amme in scheduled
ibe a eas.
6. Go e nmen should ake ca e o
sani a ion , d inking wa e , heal h
acili ies and ligh ning in ST a eas.
7. Implimen T aining p og ammes.
Addi ionally, communi y pa icipa ion
is essen ial o b ing abou cul u al change. I
implemen ed e ec i ely, hese measu es can
lead o he empowe men o women and he
o e all de elopmen o Ma a hwada.
This s udy shows ha i is no only he
o mula ion o policies bu also hei s ic
implemen a ion ha is c ucial.
Re e ences:
1. Simpli ied Yea book 2024
2. S udy ci cle book s a e exam
3. DD Na ional, disco e y, channel
4. Lokma , loksa a newspape
5. Disscussion wi h ST people
6. In e ne
7. Va ious esea ch pape s
