A Comparative Study Between Working and Non-Working Tribal Women of Garhwa District in Jharkhand in Reference to Stress and Self-Esteem

Women are the pillar of society. Their role in rural and tribal development is vital and significant. They not only contribute to the maintenance of the family but also participate in agricultural activities, animal husbandry, collection of forest produce and other livelihood activities. With the changing socio-economic scenario, there has been a paradigm shift in the role of tribal women. More and more tribal women are opting for employment in addition to their roles as daughters, wives, and mothers. Employment has both positive and negative implications for these women. It can not only empower them economically but also expose them to increased stress levels due to the addition of one more role in their lives. The self-esteem of the tribal women can be improved with employment. This study has been conducted to compare stress and self-esteem levels of working and non-working tribal women in Garhwa district of Jharkhand. A comparative study design was adopted for this study. The sample size consisted of 200 tribal women – 100 working and 100 non-working tribal women. Mean, standard deviation, and independent samples t-test were performed for statistical analysis. It was found that working tribal women experienced significantly higher levels of stress as compared to their non-working counterparts. However, working tribal women also had significantly higher levels of self-esteem as compared to non-working tribal women. The results were statistically significant.