International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Socio-Economic Background, Religious Attitudes, and Rights Awareness among Muslim Women in Haridwar District, Uttarakhand: A Sociological Analysis

Muslim women constitute a significant part of Indian society with their lives being influenced by the interplay of gender, religion, education, class and access to constitutional rights. The present study deals with the socio-economic background, social life, educational status, religious attitude and rights awareness of the Muslim women of Haridwar district, Uttarakhand from the sociological point of view. The type of research used in this research is descriptive research with analytical approach, and secondary data technique is applied. The data were gathered during the Census of India 2011, District Census Handbook (DCB), Haridwar, National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) reports, minority welfare reports, policy documents, scholarly publications and other reliable sources. Data pertaining to education, occupation, family structure, marriage practices, religious orientation and awareness of constitutional rights were analysed using content analysis and thematic analysis. The findings show that Muslim women in Haridwar are still encountering several socio-economic problems like less literacy rate, less participation in the work force, poverty, lack of awareness of the legal and constitutional rights, and patriarchal family values. Social and cultural barriers, and educational deprivation, continue to be important factors that limit chances of social mobility and empowerment. But, the attitudes toward religion, gender roles and awareness about rights are gradually being changed by increased access to modern education, exposure to urban environment, welfare programs and interactions with public institutions. The study highlights education as the most important enabler of social change, confidence, mobility and engagement in family/community life. It finds that empowerment of the Muslim women can be achieved through an integrated approach ending with their educational empowerment, economic empowerment, social empowerment through community support and awareness making them more aware of constitutional rights and welfare provisions.