The Gap Between Higher Education and Empowerment Among Marginalised Muslim Women in Rural Birbhum of West Bengal, India

Education and empowerment are linked with each other for the development of the country. In the case of Muslim women, the difference in education and participation in economic, social, and political engagements are still significantly low than the general women population of the state as well as the country. Thus, the study aims to understand the education and empowerment status and factors causing a major gap between the higher education and empowerment among marginalized Muslim women of rural Birbhum, West Bengal and tries to suggest measures for uplifting the situation. The study is based on a multistage sampling method that covers 120 populations of Muslim women (15-35 years) from rural Birbhum. The data shows that the higher education status is remarkably poor among Muslim women in the study area. Consequently, they are lagging to achieve equal status and development in society by empowering themselves till now. High drop-out rates after secondary education and low enrolment in higher education are affected by multiple factors, such as child marriage, cultural beliefs, economic challenges, less interest, parent’s awareness, and restrictions in society. Hence, special attention by government and NGOs is needed to bridge the gap between higher education and empowerment among them.