Study on the profile of rural and urban women of Gadag taluk, Karnataka state and the water supply the households receive

The present study was conducted in 2008–09 in urban and rural areas of Gadag taluk, Karnataka state. Total 100 samples were taken for the study 50 each from rural and urban areas. In urban and rural areas 70 and 80 per cent of women respectively belonged to the age group of below 25 years. As expected more women in urban area were educated as compared to their counterparts in rural area. In urban area 20 per cent women were in government jobs and 20 per cent in private jobs and rest 60 per cent worked as housewives. Obviously the rural households were poorer as compared to urban as the former's monthly income was just on third (Rs 9,000) compared to latter's monthly income (Rs 27,000). The households in urban as well as in rural areas received water from multiple sources. In general rural people had to depend on various sources due to no single assured supply of water. There was no certainty about the water supply in the rural area as compared to urban area. The study revealed that there was still gap in the living and social standard of rural and urban women. It was concluded that due to more exposure to urban life the women in urban areas had raised their social standard.