Sociocultural Impediments to the Economic Empowerment of Women: An Analysis of the Toy Industry in Etikoppaka

Research indicates that women’s involvement in income generation does not always result in gender equality or empowerment. With this understanding in mind, this qualitative study delves into the socioeconomic changes created by the highly regarded toy industry in Etikoppaka village in India, which predominantly relies on women’s labor. Exploratory research was designed to gather information from forty primary respondents who are women actively employed in the industry. We applied Hakim’s preference theory and Malhotra’s model of empowerment to construct comparison criteria for theoretical underpinning. The study’s outcomes reveal that a significant number of women in the village are employed in the toy industry. However, this employment does not guarantee their socioeconomic empowerment, as these women have limited control over financial resources and decision-making, possess lower literacy rates compared to men, and face restricted social mobility. The prevailing sociocultural norms often outweigh the opportunities that remunerative employment should ideally bring to women. We conclude that effective empowerment programs can only be successful when they consider local cultures and collaborate with grassroots and civil society organizations.