Livelihood security of women in hills: a comparative study of India and Sri Lanka.

摘要

This study assessed and compared different livelihood security outcomes (food, economic, health, educational, habitat and social-network security) impacting on the livelihood security of women in similar agro-climatic tea-growing areas of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh (India) and the Nuwara Eliya district in Sri Lanka. Selected livelihood security indicators were ranked on a one-to-five-point ordinal scale based on data collected from 150 women households in 6 villages of the two study areas. Food security, which is one of the important components of livelihood security, scored a value slightly above the mid-point of the index scale of one to five points, suggesting that women in both the study areas were relatively better food secured. However, the composite index scores of the overall education and economic security of women in Kangra district were lower as compared to that in the Nuwara Eliya district. The overall livelihood security index further reveals that one-fourth of the women in Kangra district are under the low livelihood security trap.