A Socio-Spatial Analysis of Economic Empowerment of the Ahom Women in the Nazira Rural Development Block, Sivasagar, Assam, India

Economic empowerment of women is a crucial driver for gender equality, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development, particularly in rural areas of India, where women's roles are often under-recognized. In the context of the state of Assam, the Ahom community is historically significant, having ruled the region for over 600 years, contributing to its overall development. Women were highly respected during their reign. Ahom women were known for their active contributions to both household and community economies. It is against this backdrop that the present study focuses on the economic empowerment of Ahom women in the Nazira Rural Development Block of Assam, India, analyzing the accessibility and utilization of the key resources in terms of different parameters. The study also examines the inter-relationships among these parameters. The methodology involves both secondary and primary data collection, with intensive fieldwork. A four-stage sampling design was used. Data have been analyzed using different statistical techniques like ANOVA, correlation matrix, etc. The findings reveal significant spatial variations in these parameters regarding accessibility and utilization of resources for economic empowerment within and between village clusters, and the correlation matrix shows positive correlations among these selected parameters, suggesting policy recommendations to empower Ahom women in the economic sphere effectively.