Women Empowerment in Rural and Urban Areas of Kathua District: A Comparative Study in Social Geography

Abstract

This paper examines the status of women's empowerment in the rural and urban areas of Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir, with particular attention to the health dimension of empowerment. Empowerment is conceptualized as a process of guarding women against all forms of violence and enabling their participation in the economic, political, and social spheres of sustainable development. Drawing on secondary data and a primary field survey administered through a structured interview schedule among women respondents drawn from rural and urban localities of Kathua district, the study analyses food intake patterns, fruit consumption, and age at conception as indicators of women's health status, alongside a review of Government health schemes operating in the district. Historically, the status of women in the study area has been low, marked by disempowerment and exposure to multiple forms of violence. At the same time, the Government has since introduced several schemes to empower women, the study finds that gender inequality continues to prevail, and is markedly more pronounced in rural than in urban areas. A wide gender gap is also observed in political participation.

The findings indicate that although women have benefited from targeted health and welfare interventions, they continue to enjoy a lower status than men despite sustained Government effort. The paper concludes that the provision of basic facilities and the effective implementation of welfare schemes are key enablers of women's empowerment, and that rural-focused interventions deserve continued policy priority