Spatializing Gender Disparities at the Root Level: A Case Study of Baijanth Block, District Kangra of Himachal Pradesh

For a long time there has been a lot of hue and cry for women reservation at many levels, may it be jobs, education or politics. The need for reservation clearly shows that women have lagged behind men at all spheres. A number of studies have been conducted to find the levels of gender disparities in education and work. The society has taken a lot of time to allow females to get education and to come at par with males in spheres of understanding. However the encouragement to females has been in steps as all the females who get education are not allowed to work in equality with males owing to social dogmas and traditions. The initiation of any major event begin at very small level. Urban centers are already the hub of almost equal level of male and female work participation. But the difference is generated at the grass root level or in fact in the rural societies. The present study is thus an effort to find the relationship between gender disparity in literacy and in work by taking a case study of Baijnath Block of district Kangra of Himachal Pradesh. This Block is entirely rural in character and experiences wide geographical and cultural diversity. Moreover this block is the most backward block of the district and one among the state.