EMPOWERING TRIBAL WOMEN THROUGH UPSKILLING, FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS: EVIDENCE FROM JHARKHAND AND ODISHA

This study examines how upskilling, financial inclusion, and digital access support the economic empowerment of tribal women in Jharkhand and Odisha. Using a descriptive and exploratory mixed-methods design, the study analyses 332 valid responses from an original dataset of 333 survey records over a period of 24 months. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests are employed to examine livelihood patterns, technology adoption, and financial inclusion. The findings indicate that while tribal women actively participate in agriculture, handicrafts, forest-based livelihoods, and animal husbandry, sustainable growth is constrained by inadequate market access, limited capital, insufficient technical knowledge, and digital gaps. The study proposes an integrated empowerment framework combining skill development, SHG-led financial inclusion, digital literacy, institutional convergence, and market linkages. The results are interpreted within the limitations of a cross-sectional dataset and are intended to inform policy and future research.