The Role of Education and Health on Socio-Economic-Political Inequality of Women Empowerment with Reference to Men: A Study from Koraput District of Odisha
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This paper proposes a comprehensive framework to analyze the impact of education and health on the multi-dimensional empowerment of women in the Koraput district of Odisha, India. Koraput, characterized by a significant tribal population and distinct socio-economic challenges, presents a unique context where gender disparities in human capital accumulation directly influence political agency and economic autonomy. While global and national studies have established links between human capital and productivity, specific regional dynamics involving the "empowerment gap" between men and women remain under-explored. Drawing upon comparative literature regarding human capital efficiency (He 2025), legal inheritance rights in India (Grover and Sharma 2025), and healthcare decision-making hierarchies (Gayawan et al. 2025), this study outlines a methodological approach to quantify these inequalities. We argue that education and health are not merely welfare metrics but are foundational determinants that dictate the slope of socio-economic inequality (Chatterjee 2014) and political participation. By adapting statistical inequality indices (Chatterjee et al. 2016) and integrating qualitative insights on digital and structural barriers (Pal and De' 2021)(Alotaibi et al. 2021), this research aims to provide a nuanced understanding of how deficits in health and education sustain patriarchal dominance in the region.
Authors: Biswajit Bhoi, Rajeev Johari
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7160980808