INTRODUCTION

Women play a prominent role in the cultural,political and social life of a country.As
they constitute almost half of the society and perform multifarious roales as
mothers,sisters,wives, daughter in laws,friends etc They ancient people of india fully
realised this fact and advocated a reasonable status to women and encouraged their
education.
According to vedas,women should have opportunity to acquire knowledge of vedas
from all four courses more than 400 verses, women have been called ‘Updeshtri’ of
knowledge and this indicates women working as teachers.
Gandhiji started the importance of women education in these words I am strongly of
the opinion that women should have the same facilities as men and even special
facilities where necessary.
Historical progress of women education in odisha can be studied under Pre-British
period, British period and Post independent period.
Women Empowerment has always been a burning issue in India. There have
been numerous academic works carried by different researcher on this topic.
However, this research work lies with the fact that it attempts to bring out the
connection between women empowerment and higher education in the
context of one of the most under a developed district in ganjam.