Indian National Policy on Resettlement and Rehabilitation and the Marginalization of Women

Abstract:     
Development caused displacement generates varied responses from different sections of society and it also creates a differential impact on the lives of people. It is generally believed that development efforts, which does not leave majority of its people worse off and promotes health, education and income could be regarded as participatory. But most of the development projects operate in totally opposite direction where majority of the project affected families are left to fend for themselves with poorly planned, badly executed, inappropriate and inadequate rehabilitation plans. The resettlement and rehabilitation for them becomes all the more difficult in the absence of state level policy and legislative mechanisms. With globalisation and trade liberalisation, the increased demand for land has provided further boost to the miseries of displaced persons evicting them from their homes and forcing them to give away their assets and means of livelihood. Women are the worst affected among the displaced people. Being the otherwise most discriminated and vulnerable, displacement adds to their already existing miseries. Therefore the present paper analyse the present R&R policies and finds that policies have grossly neglected the women and do not address their issues.

JEL Classifications: A14, D30, I3, J70, K11, O15

Working Paper Series