South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics

Skill Development and Multidimensional Women’s Empowerment: A Comparative Micro-level Study in Muzaffarpur District, Bihar, India

Rajni Kumari — 2026-09-30

Women’s empowerment is shaped not only by access to economic opportunities but also by women’s ability to make decisions, exercise financial autonomy, participate in social life and use available resources effectively. Skill development programmes are expected to strengthen these dimensions by improving employability, livelihood opportunities and individual capabilities. However, participation in training does not necessarily translate into empowerment, particularly in rural settings where women may continue to face socio-economic constraints, limited market access and inadequate post-training support. Against this background, the present study examines the relationship between skill development and multidimensional women’s empowerment in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, with particular attention to socio-economic outcomes, barriers to participation and programme-related support mechanisms. The study follows a case study approach supported by a quasi-experimental research design. Women who received skill training were considered the treatment group, while untrained women from comparable village clusters formed the comparison group. Relevant blocks and training centres were selected purposively in accordance with the objectives of the study. Primary data were collected through structured surveys, supplemented by in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Women’s empowerment was assessed through a Composite Women Empowerment Index (WEI) covering multiple dimensions of empowerment. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were applied to examine group differences and identify the factors associated with empowerment. The findings indicate that skill development is associated with improvements in several dimensions of women’s empowerment, although the benefits are not uniform across participants. The multivariate results further show that education, follow-up and placement support, SHG/NGO support and trainers’ quality have significant positive associations with women’s empowerment. Age shows a significant negative association, indicating relatively higher empowerment outcomes among younger participants. In contrast, household income after training, funding and infrastructure adequacy, and training satisfaction do not show statistically significant independent associations with empowerment. These findings suggest that training alone may not be sufficient; the environment that enables women to apply acquired skills is equally important. The study therefore suggests moving beyond a training-completion approach towards an outcome-oriented skill development framework. Stronger post-training follow-up, placement and livelihood support, SHG/NGO linkages, access to credit and markets, and continued attention to trainer quality can help convert skill acquisition into more sustainable empowerment. Programmes should also respond to the practical and socio-economic barriers faced by rural women so that skill development becomes a pathway not only to employment, but also to greater agency and participation in economic and social life.

Geographical Analysis of Morbidity Patterns among Tribal Communities in Nashik District, Maharashtra, India

Dhanraj Kalu Ahire — 2026-10-01

Background: Tribal communities in India experience a diverse burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, with morbidity varying according to geographical, environmental, socio-economic, and healthcare conditions. However, spatial patterns of morbidity within tribal populations remain insufficiently examined at the sub-district level. This study analyses the geographical patterns of morbidity among tribal communities in Nashik district.

Methods: The study is based on primary data collected from 607 tribal households across 48 villages in 15 tahsils of Nashik district using a stratified random sampling approach. Tribal villages with more than 50% tribal population were identified using Census 2011 data, of which 5% of tribal villages were selected from each tahsil, followed by household-level sampling. Data on 12 selected diseases were analysed using incidence and prevalence rates. A Composite Morbidity Index was developed by integrating incidence and prevalence indicators after Min–Max normalisation.

Results: The findings reveal substantial spatial and disease-specific heterogeneity in morbidity among the sampled tribal households. A total of 693 disease cases were reported, producing an overall incidence rate of 210.64 per 1,000 population based on the study denominator. The highest tahsil-level incidence rate was recorded in Deola (324.32 per 1,000), whereas Igatpuri recorded the lowest rate (159.00 per 1,000). The prevalence analysis recorded 673 morbidity cases, with an overall prevalence of 20.46%. Deola exhibited the highest prevalence (28.38%), while Kalwan recorded the lowest (14.99%). The CMI demonstrated pronounced spatial inequalities, ranging from 4.88 in Kalwan to 100.00 in Deola. Deola, Sinnar, and Chandwad were classified as high-morbidity tahsils, while Peint, Malegaon, Baglan, Surgana, Trimbakeshwar, and Niphad showed moderate morbidity levels.

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that morbidity among the sampled tribal communities is spatially heterogeneous rather than uniformly distributed across Nashik district. Malaria and respiratory illnesses constitute major components of the observed morbidity burden, while localised occurrences of other diseases indicate geographically differentiated health concerns. The CMI provides a useful spatial framework for comparing morbidity across tahsils and supporting geographically targeted health planning. The findings underline the need for strengthened disease surveillance, preventive healthcare, vector control, sanitation improvement, and accessible primary healthcare services in areas exhibiting higher morbidity.

Employees' Perceptions of Performance Appraisal and Work Outcomes: Evidence from Selected Banks in Chattogram, Bangladesh

Umme Sheame Shahataz — 2026-10-03

This exploratory study examined associations between employees' perceptions of performance appraisal and three work outcomes: self-reported work performance, affective organisational commitment, and turnover intention. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was completed by 30 employees from Bangladesh Krishi Bank, ONE Bank Ltd, BRAC Bank Ltd, and City Bank Ltd in Chattogram, Bangladesh. The instrument used a five-point Likert-type response format and included 12 appraisal-perception items, three work-performance items, three affective-commitment items, and three turnover-intention items. The mean appraisal-perception score was 3.033, indicating that responses were close to the neutral midpoint of the scale. Mean self-reported work performance was 3.778 and mean affective organisational commitment was 2.900. After reverse-scoring the positively worded future-prospects item, mean turnover intention was 3.278. Pearson correlations showed a strong positive association between appraisal perception and work performance (r = .813, 95% CI [.640, .907], p < .001) and a moderate positive association with affective organisational commitment (r = .500, 95% CI [.170, .729], p = .005). The association with turnover intention was weak, negative, and not statistically significant (r = -.163, 95% CI [-.494, .209], p = .389). The findings therefore support an association between more favourable appraisal perceptions and higher self-reported performance and affective commitment in this small sample, but they do not establish a reliable association with turnover intention. Given the convenience sampling, small sample size, and cross-sectional self-report design, the results should be interpreted as exploratory rather than causal or representative of the wider banking sector.