Abstract: This article is about the socio-economic background and cultural system regarding present status of drought affected agrarian livelihood of Santal ethnic women. As the minority, the Santals face numerous challenges to adapt social, political, cultural, natural and economic changes in their life. This study aims at finding the socio-cultural vulnerabilities of Santals ethnic women who involved in agrarian task. Data was collected through mixed method approach using structured and semi-structured questionnaire at Naogaon District. The findings suggest that lack of quality education, the Santal agrarian women hardly get any employment opportunity. Illiteracy and unawareness, an absence of hazard free residence and lack of institutional support, have took Santal women far from developing their living standard. Natural vulnerabilities have made their living highly challenging and they used to cope with scarcity of overall assets. This study also observes at the socio-economic and cultural life of Santal ethnic groups is vulnerable. The Santal women deserve more attention due to their poor condition as one of the most disadvantaged population of Bangladesh.

Keywords: : Santals, Sociocultural, Vulnerabilities, Ethnic Women, Drought, Barind tract.

1.0 Introduction

The Santals is one of the oldest ethnic minority groups in Bangladesh. They are generally living in the Northern part of Bangladesh, especially, in the greater districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Dinajpur and Rangpur. It is one of the most disadvantaged vulnerable communities. Santals are dependent on agro-based livelihood activities and natural resources. Due to natural hazards like drought the respondents have to face multi-dimensional changes in the economic, religious and cultural aspects of their lives.

The Santal is a major ethnic community of Bangladesh, practice wildlife hunting as part of their traditions (Barkat, et. al., 2021). Their socioeconomic and cultural tradition is old but not like mainstream people in Bangladesh. Their socioeconomic status is usually molded by the combination of various indicators of their daily life, like their population, education, gender, profession, income, landownership, residential pattern, living arrangement, health system, food system, communication system etc. There is no evidence which suggests that a considerable number of people from this community avail to improve their economic, social and financial conditions.

The Santal community do not have the opportunity of getting loans from different banks and failing to fulfill the condition of getting loans (Sarker, et al., 2016).

Traditionally, the Santals are mainly involved in farming work while about 95% of the Santals are involved in agricultural activities (Ahmed et. Al., 2019). In the past, the majority of the Santals was land owners but due to the increase of population, exploitation by money lenders and landlords, poverty and illiteracy and natural calamities, the vast majority of the Santals in Bangladesh have lost their land properties. At present, nearly 80% of the Santals are landless which is forcing them to earn their livelihood depending on the mercy of large farm holders and availability of work in the field of their Muslim or Hindu neighbors for their mere survival.

Male domination is prominent in the Santal society although, the role of women in the family is by no means insignificant (Banglapedia, 2021). Santal women rather take a leading role in earning livelihood or in farming activities (Elahee, 2013). Most of the families from Santal are engaged with agricultural activities though they do not have their own land. During drought women are to manage family expenses by saving from basic expenses. The drought makes these ethnic women more vulnerable as they are depend on agrarian task.

The number of Santal people living in Bangladesh is still debatable. In a survey conducted in 1941, the Santal population was recorded as 829,025 (Banglapedia 2006). In the censuses conducted after the Partition in 1947, the Santals were not distinguished from other minority groups. As a result, the accurate statistics of their population in the then East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) are now vague and unclear. In the 1980s, the Christian missionaries estimated that the Santal population in northern Bangladesh was over 100,000. The 1991 census recorded the Santal population as over 200,000. In 2001, according to one estimate, the Santal population in Bangladesh was numbered around 157,000 but the World Bank report (2008) has estimated the number around to be 300,000 (Francesco Cavallaro& Tania Rahman, 2009). Last census (2011) recorded especially my research district in Naogaon the Santal population was 24409 and Sapaharupazila was 1851 (BBS, 2011).

This article will focus on impact of drought like situation and other crisis on agrarian livelihoods of Santal women in Northern Bangladesh. The on-going study has been designed to analyze vulnerabilities of Santal women in the face of crisis like drought and their socio-economic scenario of Santal women in Northern Bangladesh.

2. Review of Literature

National Adaptation Program of Action (2005) presented a paper and focus on impacts of climate variability (and quite possible also of climate change) on the biophysical system and consequences on different sectors and these are already evident in different parts of the country. Shahid and Behrawan (2008) focus on the drought characterization and risk assessment are of great significance due to drought’s negative impact on human health, economy and ecosystem. The inclusion of the assessment of agriculture and socio-economic related vulnerability is essential in drought study. Department of Environment (2008) focused different types and context of vulnerability especially how drought creates externalities on women in Bangladesh. The impact is particularly important in Bangladesh where agriculture is the largest sector of economy. Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies (2010) presented a research paper that the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (RCCAKPA) has been developed to respond to demand for effective mechanisms for sharing information on climate change adaptation and developing adaptive capacities in Asian countries, many of whom are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Habiba, Shaw and Takeuchi (2011) focus their paper that disasters come along with a lot of collisions.

Bangladesh has been facing various natural calamities almost every year. Drought is found to have a substantial negative social and economic impact on farmers and others employed in the agricultural sector. Abarghouei, Amin, Zarch, and others (2011) published their paper on the agrarian community which was affected from last decade by the increasing drought. The unavailability of water supply owing to the drought brought beggar description in the crops production. The ethnic community in the Barind region needs to manage more water resources for production and drinking. Germany based researchers published an article on Women Farmers Adapting to Climate Change (2012). They observed in Bangladesh that indigenous knowledge has been used by women from generation to generation. It became evident throughout the study that the entire homestead agriculture activities are traditionally done by women while the firm activities are carried out by men, especially during periods of flood and drought. Women learnt how to use local and indigenous technologies from their ancestors or through their own experience for adaptation and resilience. Solh and Ginkel (2014) jointly presented that the drought is a climatic event that cannot be prevented, but interventions and preparedness to drought can help to: (i) be better prepared to cope with drought; (ii) develop more resilient ecosystems (iii) improve resilience to recover from drought; and (iv) mitigate the impacts of droughts. Preparedness strategies to drought include: (a) geographical shifts of agricultural systems; (b) climate-proofing rainfall-based systems; (c) making irrigated systems more efficient; (d) expanding the intermediate rain fed–irrigated systems. The paper presents successful research results and case studies applying some innovative techniques where clear impact is demonstrated to cope with drought and contribute to food security in dry areas.

Bhandari and Panthi (2014) focus that climate change is the world-wide biggest natural disaster which impacts on the human livelihoods. The agrarian ethnic people who greatly depended on the agriculture are suffered most. Drought nowadays is the biggest issue especially in Bangladesh. And the agrarian ethnic society is the sufferer. The agricultural productivity is greatly hampered because of inadequate and inappropriate rainfall. Shiferaw, Tesfaye, and others (2014) presented on their paper that the vulnerability can be used both in the loss of bio diversity as well as socio economical graund. Drought is the result of climatic heavy temperature and that is why shortage of rainfall in the full monsoon. The mostly affected people by drought are the agrarian ethnic people. Drought has vulnerable impacts on the biophysical and socioeconomic bases of the ethnic people.

3. Justification of the Study

It is disappointing but fact that little can be done to stop or alleviate the devastating impacts of slow onset disaster drought upon the livelihoods of much of the ethnic population in northern Bangladesh. In fact, little attention was given to focus on the drought affected agrarian livelihood adversities of ethnic women and their consequent adaptation and survival strategies undertaken by them in their own ways. The fact is that this slow onset disaster inflates annually the existing unemployment, and finally the grueling poverty in Bangladesh. A very little socioeconomic research has been carried out to understand its devastating effects of drought on the agrarian livelihood of ethnic women in precarious habitat of Barind Tract. The findings of the present study would thus be useful for policy-makers of national planning, and development workers at village level and also for international development agencies in developing insights into their program contents. Since there has not been any study especially on drought affected agrarian livelihood adversities of the ethnic women in precarious habitat of Barind Tract in northern Bangladesh, the present study would serve as a baseline for further studies. It would bear a great deal of importance in sociological research providing new facts in this line.

4. Objectives

The study was conducted with following objectives that includes- (1) to investigate the socio-economic status of agrarian Santal women of the study area and (2) to know the socio-economic vulnerabilities they have to face during water crisis in lean season.

5. Methods

It is a descriptive study and the data was collected by conducting a sample survey. The quantitative approach was applying for making analysis and draw a conclusion. The tool for gathering primary data was a set of survey questionnaire. Two unions of Sapahar upazila under Naogaon district was purposively chosen as the study area and 106 Santal women who involved in agrarian tasks were taken as respondents purposively. The data collection period was June to September of 2019 and again March to April of 2022. Secondary data (various research reports, journals, periodicals, magazine, newspapers, articles, books collected from websites) were used to understand the origin, culture, economic and social conditions of target group.

6. Findings and Discussion

6.1 Socioeconomic Profile of the Respondents

A noticeable fact from table 01 is the highest number of the respondents of this study was 24 to 36 years age group that is 60.4% of total respondents. Educational status of the Santals women was miserable as most of the respondents (73.6%) could sign only their name. Lack of institutional education kept those women far from modern technology in agriculture. Regarding religion, almost 80.0% of the women belongs to Christianity and rest of them still practice traditional belief system. Most of the respondents were married and belonged to nuclear family. The highest number of respondents (43.4%) earn Tk. 8000-16000 per year. Income range defined between Tk. 24000-32000 was confirmed by 18.9% respondents. Less income made a family poor to fight with drought and overcome from that hazard. During drought men have to manage family expenses by staying far from the village in searching of work that led a woman to struggle. The head of the families usually takes all the decisions of the families, so women were always dominated by male in all aspects.