From Home to Hardship: Impacts of Land Dispossession and Displacement on Tribal Women in Protected Areas of Odisha, India

In India, conservation-induced displacement in protected areas (PA) is a Western-influenced, top-down approach, often creating sociocultural rupture and even failing to conserve biodiversity. Land dispossession due to displacement in PAs has been a major human rights issue, especially for tribal communities, with tribal women being the most affected. Based on empirical evidence and a relevant literature review, the article seeks to explore the effects of displacement and dispossession on the lives of tribal women in and around the Similipal Tiger and Biodiversity Reserve (STBR) of Odisha, India. The findings of the study reflect that the majority of the tribal women were excluded from raising their voice in the relocation process; hence, they were unable to cope with the new environment. The loss of their ancestral land and forest affects their livelihood options, linked with adverse sociocultural and lower health status. Additionally, the study recommends balancing conservation and development demands through innovative approaches for a more collaborative and participatory paradigm, such as empowering tribal women through forest rights, co-managing PA, supporting sustainable livelihood and integrating their ecological knowledge for inclusive long-term development.