Gendered Value and Household Decision-Making among Women Weavers in Assam

Abstract

Women’s participation in the handloom sector plays a critical role in sustaining cultural heritage and rural livelihoods in India, yet their economic contribution often remains undervalued within both market systems and households.  Using a mixed-methods approach, primary data were collected from 268 women weavers registered under two Cluster Development Programmes through structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. A Role–Value Matrix was employed to analyse the alignment between women’s labour roles, cultural contributions, and economic returns, while a composite Women’s Household Decision-Making Index (WHDMI) was constructed to assess levels of household autonomy. The findings reveal a pronounced gendered imbalance in value distribution, with women concentrated in culturally significant yet economically marginalized roles. Although economic participation has facilitated greater involvement in household decisions, the majority of women exhibit only moderate decision-making autonomy, indicating that income generation alone does not guarantee empowerment. The study underscores the multidimensional nature of women’s empowerment and highlights the need for policy interventions that integrate income enhancement with financial literacy, institutional support, and socio-cultural sensitization to strengthen women’s agency within households and value chains.