Socio-Economic and Psychological Problems of Disabled Women in Rural Punjab Kaler Simrathjit Kaur1, Sharma Shalini2,,* 1Research Scholar Department of Economic and Sociology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141 004 (India) 2Professor of Sociology Department of Economic and Sociology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141 004 (India) *Corresponding author's email: shalinisharma@pau.edu
Online published on 13 December, 2017. Abstract Women are reported to be the largest group in the global disability population, and they have been historically subjected to discrimination both on the ground of their disability and gender. The present study explored the problems faced by disabled women in rural Punjab. The study was conducted in two districts of Punjab i.e. Ludhiana and SAS Nagar. Multistage random sampling technique was used for sample selection. Three blocks from each district were selected. Fifteen disabled women were selected from each block, thus a sample of 90 respondents from six selected blocks was personally interviewed for the purpose of the study. The disabled women between the age group of 15 years to 45 years and above were interviewed. The perceptions of the respondents regarding economic, social and psychological problems faced during childhood, before marriage, and after marriage were taken into consideration. Inaccessibility to education (54.4 per cent), gender biasness (61.1 per cent) and isolation (76.6 per cent) were the major socio-economic and psychological problems during childhood. Oppressive culture (93.3 per cent), insincere sympathy (87.8percent) and demand for dowry (63.3 per cent) to accommodate disability were major problems faced by sample respondents before marriage. Last, to receive resources (91.83 pe rcent), stigmatized identity (93.87 per cent) and incapacity (73.46 per cent) were the major problems which disabled faced after marriage Top Keywords Disabled women, rural Punjab, socio-economic problems. Top |