GOLD JEWELRIES IN ECONOMIC WELL-BEING AND EMPOWERMENT OF TAMIL RURAL WOMEN

Abstract

Necessity of women empowerment to achieve goal of development has been emphasized by economists for a long time. Women’s assets especially gold jewelries closely associated with the formation of women’s identity, decision making capability, mobility and contribution to the household financial activities lead to women empowerment of the nation. This study hypothesized that gold jewelries held by Tamil women in rural positively associated with degree of their empowerment, measured by fifteen measures. In developing countries, particularly in traditional base societies, women have been denied to the participation of the country’s economic activities due to the limitations from the patriarchal societies, cultural and religious aspects, and norms. In this paper cross sectional data, collected from 40 rural married women in 2021 has been analyzed by using statistical software. Data have been collected from particular research area by using questionnaire, focus group discussion and key person interviews. The analysis demonstrates the gold jewelries have significantly more positive relationship and impact on women’s empowerment than other determinants of empowerment. The correlation coefficient between value of total gold jewelries of women bosses and empowerment of women is 0. 61. Increasing of one rupees of value of gold jewelries leads to increasing of economic wellbeing of women to value of 3.5 rupees. Investment on gold jewelries than other financial means make economic prosperity for rural Tamil women. Gold jewelries are used for multiple purposes and multiple advantages for Tamil women and economy.