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The Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have been empowering women socially and economically and also encouraged them to create their own enterprises. SHG membership improves money management, confidence, decision-making, and social networks. They also organize local collaboration. People establish social capital and support networks via SHGs. The research examines SHG membership and social and economic development using secondary qualitative analysis. The paper also discusses issues including tool availability, community support, and leadership. SHG stakeholders should be engaged to develop gender-sensitive regulations, and promote relationships to help initiatives to operate better and endure longer results. The research also recommends investing more in women’s SHGs and business control to enhance women’s livelihoods. Focusing on SHG development may assist leaders, NGOs, and community organisations to make society more open and equitable for women. This will equip women for personal and professional success. The research shows how SHGs has empowered women and boost socio- economic development.

Keywords: Socio-economic Empowerment, Women entrepreneurship, Gender equality, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Sustainable Business Model.

This paper attempts to understand the concepts of gender and sexuality through the work of the famous Indian cinema director, Rituparno Ghosh. The concepts of gender and sexuality have long gained prominence in the discipline of sociology. This dissertation also has tried to find out how Rituparno Ghosh’s works have contradicted the gender normativity and normative sexuality of society. It has been said that both gender and sexuality are certain performances that we enact depending on the social situation we are in. Our society has certain socially constructed norms regarding gender and sexuality, since both of these are extremely sensitive subjects. Like, society considers as having the two genders – masculine and feminine as normal. Subsequently, there are certain attributes attached to these two genders which individuals born into them at birth are expected to follow. Thus, we are either constantly practicing masculinity or constantly practicing femininity. Similarly, only heterosexuality is considered to be the normative sexuality in society. Any contradiction to this is treated as perverse. Now, Rituparno Ghosh, being an openly homosexual filmmaker and an individual who did not identify with hir’s assigned gender at birth portrayed the experiences of such individuals. And hir’s depiction was among the firsts to have shown such individuals in a different light, depicting their desires, their sexual agency, their longing to be a part of the institution of family or marriage and the immense pain of not being able to lead a normal life and the agony of being treated as an abomination to society. The way zie has depicted masculinity and femininity in hir’s work is so real that it is commendable. Born as a man but later who had attempted to convert into the opposite gender, how zie looked at both these genders and the concept of gender binary is also important. This dissertation is based on three very remarkable movies of hir’s and I have attempted to bring out the prevalent themes in those movies and explain it through a sociological lens.

Keywords: cisgender, femininity, masculinity, sexuality, transgender.

The aroma of wet clay from Hooghly River, the crackling of dried straws beneath your feet, the crisscrossed patterns of bamboos laid out within the narrow confined ramshackle, along with processes of eight-by-eight studios blend seamlessly to create the traditional homes of artisans where goddess Durga takes birth. The neighborhood of Kumartuli, famed for its processes of idol making, has been traditionally a caste-homogenous, male-dominated industry where females of this cluster were mainly assigned roles of ‘supportive character’ in the processual of idol making at varied workshops within the neighborhood.

This paper tries to explore the gender dynamics among the idol making community of Kumartuli. Drawing on concepts of ‘emotional labor’ alongside ‘cultural capital’, this paper aims to explore the dimension of ‘sexual division of labor’ among the aforementioned community and how the female idol makers navigate their way towards unique individuality, through the intersection of emotional labor and sexual division of labor amidst intermingling of numerous dynamic realities. This paper through certain cases recorded through qualitative proposition of unstructured interactions, tries to understand how female idol makers steer their roles within traditional male-dominated craft by projecting varied cases of lived in experiences on aspectual of spatial organization related to workspace contiguous with household and social capital derived from caste homogeneity, thus ultimately exploring the proposition of identity formation among female idol makers in the neighborhood. The research finally highlights how, in order to create their identities and claim their cultural legitimacy in a profession dominated by men, female idol makers in Kumartuli must negotiate the confluence of sexual division of labor, and emotional labor amidst the unique spatial dynamics determined by the processes of caste homogeneity.

Keywords: Caste Homogeneity, Emotional Labor, Identity Formation, Lived in Experiences, Sexual Division of Labor, Social Capital, Spatial Organization, Unstructured Interactions.

Menarche is the first occurrence of the period; it is the phase that a female enters into the reproductive stage. Menstruation is the physiological and biological process that occurs once a month in an adult woman. The practices, etiquettes, and taboos imposed on menstruating women seclude and exclude them from many social, cultural, and religious aspects of life. This is a kind of gender-based violence that is driven by the socio-cultural and religious beliefs connected with gender norms. The taboos which are social and religious sanctions impose restrictions on women to do something or to forbid them from doing something just because they are bleeding. The imposition of menstrual taboos has a greater impact on her day-to-day life. It affects her physical, mental, psychological, emotional and social health. She is restricted in her movement, intake of certain food, entry into the kitchen or places of worship, etc. Many menstrual etiquettes and practices have a direct impact on women’s reproductive health. The lack of accessibility to menstrual products and unhygienic menstrual management result in infection, cervical problems, and other related health issues. Many girls drop out of school and college once they start menstruating. The imposition of taboos on women leads to many problems and deprivations of her basic rights, and dignity. The taboos, unfriendly practices, and procedures related to menstruation lead to gender inequality thus violating the basic rights and dignity of women.

Keywords: Menstruation, Taboo, Gender Violence, Gender Inequality, Dignity

Religion has an important role as a regulatory mechanism overseeing lives of members of society. Religion maybe perceived as a belief system at the same time it can be a system of oppression as it may sanction power and responsibility to some and seize the same from another. Focusing on the patriarchal Gangte tribe of Manipur, the paper seeks to dissect women’s status in two phases i.e. traditional religion and Christianity. The paper will illuminate how religious structure of the Gangte tribe has played an important role in shaping gender disparity and tries to delve on how religion as a social structure stunts women development and perpetuate their invisibility and muted presence. Despite the attainment of education, economic security, etc., the Gangte women continue to be absent in their political and religious body, and only had subordinate position in the administration of the churches which is the most important decision-making body of their society.

Keywords: Gender, Power, Religion, Leadership, Gangte tribe