Challenging Cultural Conventions : Qualitative Evidence from Jeevika

Sanyal, P. ; Rao, V. ; Majumdar, S.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: GENDER;    SERVICE DELIVERY;    POVERTY ALLEVIATION;    GENDER EQUALITY;    RURAL LIVELIHOODS;   

RP-ID  :  142929

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

In 2006, when the Bihar RuralLivelihoods Project was launched, the state’s rural povertyratio was 44.6 percent - 36 million of the total 82 millionpeople in Bihar were living in poverty. Bihar is India’sthird most populous state with 8 percent of the totalpopulation but ranks lowest on the human development index(HDI). Rural communities in the state are often beset bypervasive social inequalities and caste and genderhierarchies. Simultaneously, Bihar has also had a longhistory of progressive movements that constantly challengedupper caste hegemony. However, these movements have hadlimited success in address gender inequality - Bihar rankedlowest on the Gender Equality Index with lower caste womenfacing double subordination. Overall, rural Bihar wascharacterized by weak service delivery, complex politicaland social dynamics, limited inclusion of the poor intoinstitutions, few economic opportunities, and a fraildevelopment infrastructure. It was in the midst of this thatJEEViKA was piloted and implemented.