Bridging the Gaps: A Gender-Based Analysis of Socio-Economic Challenges & Policy Interventions Among Tribal Entrepreneurs in Wayanad, Kerala
Dr. Manu M N
, Shimla Latheef , Feba Jose
Tribal Entrepreneurship, Gender Disparities, Socio-Economic Challenges, Policy Interventions, BRIDGE Model
This study examines the socio-economic challenges and policy outreach among tribal entrepreneurs in Wayanad through a gender informed lens, and proposes the BRIDGE Model as an integrated intervention framework. Drawing on a cross sectional survey of 100 male and female tribal micro entrepreneurs across Wayanad, district, the study employs descriptive statistics, independent samples t tests, one way ANOVA, and effect size measures (Cohen’s d, Hedges’ g, Glass’s Δ) to quantify disparities in financial, marketing, and socio cultural problems. The study also assesses awareness and perceived efficacy of key welfare schemes and communication that female entrepreneurs consistently report significantly greater difficulty across most domains, particularly in informal financing, health/climate vulnerabilities, and cultural constraints, while scheme uptake remains uneven despite high approval among a few beneficiaries. Personal communication and television dominate information flows, whereas print and the internet, though trusted, have limited reach. Synthesizing these insights, the BRIDGE Model outlines six pillars—Build Capacity & Awareness; Reinforce Infrastructure & Connectivity; Initiate Financial & Policy Support; Develop Market Linkages & Value Addition; Generate Promotion & Branding; and Empower Sustainable Livelihoods, each mapped directly to identified gaps. The framework offers policymakers, NGOs, and community stakeholders a scalable roadmap to enhance scheme penetration, address gendered inequities, and foster inclusive, sustainable tribal enterprise development in Wayanad and comparable contexts.
"Bridging the Gaps: A Gender-Based Analysis of Socio-Economic Challenges & Policy Interventions Among Tribal Entrepreneurs in Wayanad, Kerala", TIJER - TIJER - INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL (www.TIJER.org), ISSN:2349-9249, Vol.12, Issue 4, page no.a552-a561, April-2025, Available :https://tijer.org/TIJER/papers/TIJER2504083.pdf
Volume 12
Issue 4,
April-2025
Pages : a552-a561
Paper Reg. ID: TIJER_157505
Published Paper Id: TIJER2504083
Downloads: 000282
Research Area: Commerce All
Country: Wayanad, Kerala, India
ISSN: 2349-9249 | IMPACT FACTOR: 8.57 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2014
An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 8.57 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator
Publisher: TIJER (IJ Publication) Janvi Wave
