Quest for Dignity: Women, Work, and Mobility in Rural India

The seminar explores the complex challenges faced by rural women in India related to employment, mobility, and dignity amidst shifting state policies and welfare schemes. It critically examines the rise in rural female labour participation post-COVID, the impact of direct benefit transfer schemes, and structural issues like patriarchal norms, poor infrastructure, and caste-based restrictions. The central question is whether current welfare models promote genuine empowerment or reinforce traditional gender roles. The discussions aim to reframe women’s dignity as a political and social concern, not just an economic one.