Jeevika , Women and Rural Bihar: Cultural Impact of a Development Intervention

This article narrates a story of cultural change caused by livelihood intervention in rural Bihar (India). It shows that the impact of Jeevika, a microcredit-based rural livelihood promotion project, goes beyond its call for promoting livelihoods. The article recognises the distinction between structural and cultural aspects of social change and holds that an important impact of Jeevika on rural women of Bihar has been the cultural loosening of the patriarchal noose over their necks. It argues that the sustainability of such an impact is, however, unlikely, as the structural bases of patriarchy, namely, family, caste, land and agriculture, remain largely unaffected. Moreover, the whole process is exogenous—a creation of programme intervention.