South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics

Skill Development and Multidimensional Women’s Empowerment: A Comparative Micro-level Study in Muzaffarpur District, Bihar, India

Rajni Kumari, Rosy Sulochana — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Women’s empowerment is shaped not only by access to economic opportunities but also by women’s ability to make decisions, exercise financial autonomy, participate in social life and use available resources effectively. Skill development programmes are expected to strengthen these dimensions by improving employability, livelihood opportunities and individual capabilities. However, participation in training does not necessarily translate into empowerment, particularly in rural settings where women may continue to face socio-economic constraints, limited market access and inadequate post-training support. Against this background, the present study examines the relationship between skill development and multidimensional women’s empowerment in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, with particular attention to socio-economic outcomes, barriers to participation and programme-related support mechanisms. The study follows a case study approach supported by a quasi-experimental research design. Women who received skill training were considered the treatment group, while untrained women from comparable village clusters formed the comparison group. Relevant blocks and training centres were selected purposively in accordance with the objectives of the study. Primary data were collected through structured surveys, supplemented by in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Women’s empowerment was assessed through a Composite Women Empowerment Index (WEI) covering multiple dimensions of empowerment. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were applied to examine group differences and identify the factors associated with empowerment. The findings indicate that skill development is associated with improvements in several dimensions of women’s empowerment, although the benefits are not uniform across participants. The multivariate results further show that education, follow-up and placement support, SHG/NGO support and trainers’ quality have significant positive associations with women’s empowerment. Age shows a significant negative association, indicating relatively higher empowerment outcomes among younger participants. In contrast, household income after training, funding and infrastructure adequacy, and training satisfaction do not show statistically significant independent associations with empowerment. These findings suggest that training alone may not be sufficient; the environment that enables women to apply acquired skills is equally important. The study therefore suggests moving beyond a training-completion approach towards an outcome-oriented skill development framework. Stronger post-training follow-up, placement and livelihood support, SHG/NGO linkages, access to credit and markets, and continued attention to trainer quality can help convert skill acquisition into more sustainable empowerment. Programmes should also respond to the practical and socio-economic barriers faced by rural women so that skill development becomes a pathway not only to employment, but also to greater agency and participation in economic and social life.

Geographical Analysis of Morbidity Patterns among Tribal Communities in Nashik District, Maharashtra, India

Dhanraj Kalu Ahire — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Tribal communities in India experience a diverse burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, with morbidity varying according to geographical, environmental, socio-economic, and healthcare conditions. However, spatial patterns of morbidity within tribal populations remain insufficiently examined at the sub-district level. This study analyses the geographical patterns of morbidity among tribal communities in Nashik district.

Methods: The study is based on primary data collected from 607 tribal households across 48 villages in 15 tahsils of Nashik district using a stratified random sampling approach. Tribal villages with more than 50% tribal population were identified using Census 2011 data, of which 5% of tribal villages were selected from each tahsil, followed by household-level sampling. Data on 12 selected diseases were analysed using incidence and prevalence rates. A Composite Morbidity Index was developed by integrating incidence and prevalence indicators after Min–Max normalisation.

Results: The findings reveal substantial spatial and disease-specific heterogeneity in morbidity among the sampled tribal households. A total of 693 disease cases were reported, producing an overall incidence rate of 210.64 per 1,000 population based on the study denominator. The highest tahsil-level incidence rate was recorded in Deola (324.32 per 1,000), whereas Igatpuri recorded the lowest rate (159.00 per 1,000). The prevalence analysis recorded 673 morbidity cases, with an overall prevalence of 20.46%. Deola exhibited the highest prevalence (28.38%), while Kalwan recorded the lowest (14.99%). The CMI demonstrated pronounced spatial inequalities, ranging from 4.88 in Kalwan to 100.00 in Deola. Deola, Sinnar, and Chandwad were classified as high-morbidity tahsils, while Peint, Malegaon, Baglan, Surgana, Trimbakeshwar, and Niphad showed moderate morbidity levels.

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that morbidity among the sampled tribal communities is spatially heterogeneous rather than uniformly distributed across Nashik district. Malaria and respiratory illnesses constitute major components of the observed morbidity burden, while localised occurrences of other diseases indicate geographically differentiated health concerns. The CMI provides a useful spatial framework for comparing morbidity across tahsils and supporting geographically targeted health planning. The findings underline the need for strengthened disease surveillance, preventive healthcare, vector control, sanitation improvement, and accessible primary healthcare services in areas exhibiting higher morbidity.

Employees' Perceptions of Performance Appraisal and Work Outcomes: Evidence from Selected Banks in Chattogram, Bangladesh

Umme Sheame Shahataz — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This exploratory study examined associations between employees' perceptions of performance appraisal and three work outcomes: self-reported work performance, affective organisational commitment, and turnover intention. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was completed by 30 employees from Bangladesh Krishi Bank, ONE Bank Ltd, BRAC Bank Ltd, and City Bank Ltd in Chattogram, Bangladesh. The instrument used a five-point Likert-type response format and included 12 appraisal-perception items, three work-performance items, three affective-commitment items, and three turnover-intention items. The mean appraisal-perception score was 3.033, indicating that responses were close to the neutral midpoint of the scale. Mean self-reported work performance was 3.778 and mean affective organisational commitment was 2.900. After reverse-scoring the positively worded future-prospects item, mean turnover intention was 3.278. Pearson correlations showed a strong positive association between appraisal perception and work performance (r = .813, 95% CI [.640, .907], p < .001) and a moderate positive association with affective organisational commitment (r = .500, 95% CI [.170, .729], p = .005). The association with turnover intention was weak, negative, and not statistically significant (r = -.163, 95% CI [-.494, .209], p = .389). The findings therefore support an association between more favourable appraisal perceptions and higher self-reported performance and affective commitment in this small sample, but they do not establish a reliable association with turnover intention. Given the convenience sampling, small sample size, and cross-sectional self-report design, the results should be interpreted as exploratory rather than causal or representative of the wider banking sector.

Perceived Gratuity Benefits and Job Satisfaction among Educational Employees in Bangladesh: Examining an Underexplored Employee-welfare Relationship

Md. Mahafuz Kabir, Sani Chouduri — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Employee benefits are an important component of human resource management, yet evidence concerning gratuity benefits and job satisfaction in Bangladesh’s education sector remains limited. This study examined the association between perceived gratuity benefits and job satisfaction among employees of government and non-government educational institutions in Bangladesh. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed, and data were collected from 170 employees using a structured questionnaire with five-point Likert-scale items. Perceived gratuity benefits and job satisfaction were each measured using five-item composite scores. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson’s correlation, and simple linear regression. Respondents reported a mean perceived gratuity-benefit score of 3.146 (SD = 0.717) and a mean job-satisfaction score of 2.449 (SD = 0.776). Pearson’s correlation indicated a moderate positive and statistically significant association between perceived gratuity benefits and job satisfaction (r = .560, p < .001). The simple regression also showed a positive coefficient for perceived gratuity benefits (B = .607, p < .001). These findings indicate that employees with more favourable perceptions of gratuity benefits tend to report higher job satisfaction. However, the findings should be interpreted as evidence of association rather than causation because of the cross-sectional design, convenience sampling, self-reported measures, and single-predictor model. The study provides context-specific evidence on an underexplored employee-welfare relationship in Bangladesh’s education sector.

Is Obesity and Overweight in Kerala a Phenomenon of Disease of Affluence?

K. Ramla — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Overweight and obesity may be socially patterned during economic and nutritional transition, but the extent to which this pattern represents a disease-of-affluence phenomenon in Kerala requires examination. This study assessed whether overweight/obesity among adults aged 45 years and above in Kerala was associated with socioeconomic status and related demographic, behavioural, food-security and health characteristics.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India Wave 1 (2017–18). The analytical sample included 1,985 adults aged 45 years and above. Overweight and obesity were combined as body mass index ≥25 kg/m². Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and binary logistic regression were used to examine associations, with unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios estimated. Results: Overweight/obesity prevalence increased from 31.51% in the poorest group to 49.12% in the richest group and from 26.49% among respondents with no formal schooling to 52.74% among those with 10 or more years of education. In the adjusted model, the richest households had 1.78 times the odds of overweight/obesity compared with the poorest households, while respondents with 10 or more years of education had 2.34 times the odds. Female and urban respondents had higher odds, older age groups had lower odds, and multimorbidity was positively associated with overweight/obesity.

Conclusion: The findings show a socioeconomic pattern consistent with the disease-of-affluence hypothesis, but the non-linear economic gradient and non-significant social-class association indicate a more complex relationship that should be interpreted as associative rather than causal.

Local and Indonesian Cultural Representation within the Party Island Image of Gili Trawangan, Lombok

Tiara Oktavia, Budi Setiawan — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Gili Trawangan is a major tourism destination in Lombok whose international reputation combines marine tourism with a prominent nightlife and party island image. This study examines how local and Indonesian cultural elements are represented within this tourism setting and how tourism business actors perceive the party island image. A qualitative descriptive design was used, drawing on observation, semi-structured interviews with ten purposively selected informants (eight tourism business actors and two tour guides), documentation, and supporting secondary sources. The analysis organised the material around the research questions and compared information across participants and data sources. The findings identify material forms of cultural representation through locally styled architecture and decoration, culinary products, and souvenirs, together with non-material elements including Gendang Beleq, Presean, Sasak dance, traditional clothing, and social and religious practices. Local cultural practices coexist with nightlife-oriented tourism, while some tourism products also show hybridisation between local and global forms. Informants associated the party island image with perceived economic opportunities, sociocultural adaptation, and environmental pressures related to waste, noise, crowding, and resource use. These findings describe stakeholder perceptions rather than measured causal effects and should not be generalised to tourists or all residents. The study contributes a context-sensitive account of layered destination identity in which nightlife-oriented tourism and local cultural expression operate simultaneously within Gili Trawangan.

Starting Motivated, Staying Satisfied? Employee Motivation and Job Satisfaction among Entry-level Employees in Bangladesh

Md. Mahafuz Kabir, Laboni Rahman — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the relationship between employee motivation and job satisfaction among entry-level employees in Bangladesh. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used to analyse survey data from 100 employees with no more than two years of work experience. Employee motivation and job satisfaction were measured using separate seven-item constructs on a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, regression diagnostics, and HC3 robust standard errors were applied. Respondents reported relatively high mean scores for employee motivation (M = 4.219, SD = 0.286) and job satisfaction (M = 4.251, SD = 0.327). Employee motivation was moderately and positively associated with job satisfaction (r = .374, p < .001). The regression model was statistically significant, F(1, 98) = 15.96, p < .001, and explained 14.0% of the observed variance in job satisfaction (R² = .140). Employee motivation was a significant positive predictor of job satisfaction (B = .428, p < .001; 95% CI [0.215, 0.640]). The coefficient remained significant under HC3 robust estimation (SE = .117, t = 3.654, p < .001; 95% CI [0.195, 0.660]). Diagnostic tests provided no significant evidence against linearity, functional-form adequacy, homoscedasticity, or residual independence, although residual-normality tests were mixed. The findings indicate an association rather than causality and suggest that motivation is one factor related to job satisfaction during career entry.

Socio-economic and Demographic Aspects of Sustainable Development Goals: A Cross-Country Analysis

Priya Awasthi, Rachna Mujoo — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The study examines the relationship between selected socio-economic and demographic indicators and overall Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) performance in eight East and South Asian countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Maldives, Mongolia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Balanced panel data covering 2005–2018 comprise 112 country-year observations. Five indicators are considered: adolescent fertility rate, under-five mortality rate, female-to-male labour-force participation rate, female-to-male mean years of education received, and unemployment rate. Stationarity is assessed using the Levin–Lin–Chu panel unit-root test, while model selection is guided by the Breusch–Pagan Lagrange Multiplier and Hausman tests. The fixed-effects model is subsequently used to estimate relationships with the overall SDG score. The results indicate statistically significant positive relationships for female-to-male labour-force participation and female-to-male mean years of education received, and statistically significant negative relationships for under-five mortality and unemployment. Adolescent fertility is statistically insignificant in the fixed-effects estimation. In addition, exponential-smoothing forecasts are used to examine projected country-level SDG progress through 2030. The forecasts indicate continued improvement in overall SDG scores, although progress remains uneven across the selected countries. Overall, the findings suggest that the selected gender, education, health, and employment indicators are associated with differences in SDG performance within the analysed sample, while country-specific conditions and forecast uncertainty warrant cautious interpretation.