A Multi State Socio Economic Study of Women with Disabilities in India

This project looks at the status of women with disability in four states of the country; Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal. Women with Disability represent a confluence of two divides in the society; gender and disability. While each of the divides has been studied independently, if not in isolation, the two have rarely been studied together.

The report first traces the contours of the available demographic data on the population of persons with disability in the four states and its gender dimension. Incidence of different disabilities is analysed separately and presented through maps in order to identify clusters of high and low incidence. Implication of such clustering is examined. In doing this analysis a unique mapping programme has been used which allows mapping of different incidences of disability at the district level using the census data. Apart from identifying pockets of high and low incidence of disability and gender gaps thereof, this technique brings out the clustering of a lot of trends on disability. This will be of considerable help in programme design and implementation.

The study then presents an analytical framework linking impairment and disability through the structure of barriers.  It uses the capabilities framework of Sen to examine the disadvantage faced by a disabled person in the space of outcome i.e. how does the person function in the society in the context of her disability. Personal characteristics or the ‘endowments’ of a person with disability create difficulties in utilizing the commodities into certain outcomes. This can be mitigated to some extent using certain technologies; aids and appliances come under such category. However, a bigger problem that one faces is of the entitlement failures of the PWDs in general and WWDs in particular.

Within gender, widowhood represents another disadvantage. Similarly within disability mental disability represents additional disadvantage. Analysis of primary data indicates that widows and WWDs in MR category are perhaps the most vulnerable among the WWDs. This has important implications on the design of welfare programmes for WWDs. Disability Pension Scheme should perhaps aim to cover this group on a hundred percent basis on priority. Analysis of the primary data also reveals areas where it is imperative that the 2001 census data is cross tabulated to further corroborate or contradict some of the trends seen for the WWDs. Markedly lower longevity among the MR category is one case in point in this regard.

(For going through the whole document refer the Link – Download Materials - Report on the Study on WWD.pdf  & Documents related to the Study on WWD.pdf)