A Comparative study of socio-economic status of women in slums and colonies of West Bengal: A case study of Madhyamgram Municipal Area, District North 24 Paraganas

The most available features of any metropolitan city all around the world are – slums, shanties, squatter settlements and colonies which are continuously being created by the waves of urbanization. People move from the adjacent outskirts or villages into the cities in expectation of a healthier life. But at last they have to face the most pitiable existence in these slums where they colonize due to lack of space in the cities. There are a lot of women migrants too who are the main bread earners of the families. As we all know, even being the fairer sex, a woman needs to struggle in every field to get things in a fair way. So, it is easily understood how miserable would be the situation for those women who are living in these completely depriving environment. To examine the scenario of the Socio-economic status (SES), Madhyamgram Municipal Area was selected, because it is one of the most important urban units within the jurisdiction of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (within 18 kilometres from Kolkata) and having a trend of fast paced development. Different strategies based on urban environment development are being implemented here for the betterment of lifestyle of people especially those below poverty line. A study on the socio-economic status of women with emphasis on demographic features, literacy, and economy and health structure was undertaken with a questionnaire based survey. This paper is mainly based on primary data, though some data were taken from the Municipal Authority. It also covers the developmental process of Madhyamgram Municipal Area, present status of the dwellers and future plan for urban development.