On the Losing End: Adverse Effects of Environmental Degradation on Women in India with Special Reference to Indigenous Women

Today, the state of the environment is dismal, and with no sense of immediate reversal of damage in sight, the consequences of its damage are real and they are in front of us. While the ill effects of environmental degradation will be borne by everyone, from nations and governments to individuals and entities, this paper attempts to analyse the skewed effect it has on the female gender, due to their assigned gender roles and various economic handicaps. This paper further observes that even within one gendered community the proportion of damage varies among different groups with change in the social and economic status. The women of the indigenous population, stuck with poverty and isolation, emerge as the most vulnerable group in a community which is already under grave threat. With the acknowledgment of the impact it has on women, the present paper goes ahead and attempts to take a peek into the legal framework and policies available that provide a remedy in this regard and also tries to judge its effectiveness in delivering the promised impact. Thus through the observations, it becomes relevant to understand that one of the most important factors in conserving the environment lies in reversing the status quo of the women in our country.