INTRODUCTION Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation said that woman, the companion of man, is as gifted as he is and is endowed with the same qualities and capabilities he has. She has the same right to freedom and liberation as a man has. The implications of the observations that Gandhi made holds good not only in the past century but also rather more so in the present one. This is due to the fact that there has been no marked improvement in the status of women though there have been vast changes in all walks of life. Women enjoyed a golden era in India during the Vedic times when women were treated on par with men and they not only inherited and possessed properties but also held positions along with men. They took active part in cultural activities and in state functions. The biggest stumbling block in India’s developmental efforts has been poverty. It impeded that the development of the nation and prevented any perceptible change in the quality of life of its teeming millions. India being a developing country has major of its people suffering from malnutrition, unemployment, poverty, illness and poor health-care. This is a veritable truth in case of four main weaker sections of society namely Women, Children, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes. It is a self-evident fact that women in rural India suffer from not only low economic and social status but also have high rates of illiteracy. As a result, it is highly imperative to increase their earning power by