International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Publications ISSN (Online): 2581-6187 52 Deso Barman and Purab Brahma, “Gender and Mental Health: A Case of the Bodo Kachari Women of Northeast India,” International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Publications (IJMRAP), Volume 6, Issue 5, pp. 52-57, 2023. Gender and Mental Health: A Case of the Bodo Kachari Women of Northeast India Deso Barman 1 , Purab Brahma 2 1 MSc. Psychology, Christ Academy Institute for Advanced Studies, Bangalore University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India 2 MA Women’s Studies, Department of Women’s Studies, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India Email address: 1 deshodao06@gmail.com, 2 purabbrahma1996@gmail.com Abstract—Mental health has a significant impact on gender particularly in women, who are more likely than men to experience mental health issues and problems. The authors of the paper discussed the way urban Bodo women perceive and comprehend mental health in general. The authors additionally explored a variety of gender-related factors that are associated with mental health problems among Bodo women living in urban areas in the Kokrajhar area of Assam, including gender inequality, reproductive health, women serving as family guardians, widowhood, and remarriage. Among the Bodo women, the authors found serious issues with mental health that were based on gender. In conclusion, the study attempts to emphasise different measures that the government could implement in order to build comprehensive solutions for the improvement of mental health. Keywords— Bodo Kachari, Bodo women, Tribal mental health, Assam, Northeast India. I. INTRODUCTION The foundation of both a healthy family and a healthy society is a healthy woman. Therefore, the welfare of society, as well as the health and happiness of the family, are dependent on the state of women. Women's standing in our culture is generally appalling, even after independence and even though the Indian Constitution guarantees them equal rights. Their vulnerability is intimately linked to their marital status, place of employment, and social duties. They are disproportionately affected by mental health issues. Women typically experience difficulties and conflicts related to marriage, family dynamics, dysfunctional families, reproduction, raising children, dying, divorcing, ageing, poverty, low self-esteem, loneliness, education, and employment (Das, 2019). Gender is a significant factor of mental health and mental illness. Women exhibit distinct patterns of psychological distress and psychiatric disorders in comparison to men. Gender disparities are most noticeable in the prevalence of prevalent mental illnesses, where women are more likely to be affected. Women who marry young and girls from nuclear homes are more likely to try suicide and injure themselves (Malhotra & Shah, 2017) Women’s Mental Health: North East India Das (2019) investigated the mental health situation of women in Assam in relation to their age distribution, marital status, educational background, occupation, pattern of residence patterns between rural and urban areas, and socioeconomic status. According to the study, the ladies experience common mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, somatization, depression, sleeplessness, and phobias. When compared to rural women, urban women are probably more likely to experience mental health issues. Somatization, stress, anxiety disorders, sadness, loneliness, insomnia, and phobias have a greater impact on them. The risk of hysteria, somatization, depression, and phobia disorders is higher in rural women. Urban women are shown to experience depression at higher rates than rural women. Marbaniang & Bhutia (2018) investigated the mental health status of female secondary school teachers in Meghalaya. 405 female teachers from four Meghalayan districts were chosen as a study sample by the investigator, who also employed a self-constructed questionnaire and an adopted survey approach. According to the survey, Meghalayan women teachers' mental health is poor. Mishra (2021) examined the mental health, work-family conflict, anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and social dysfunction of female teachers employed in Mizoram's secondary schools. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the research has been conducted using a mixed-mode approach. The sample was chosen using a straightforward random sampling process. According to the report, female instructors with less Mizoram experience and those employed in private secondary schools had worse mental health. Brief Introduction: The Bodo Kacharis of Northeast India India's northeastern area is home to a diverse range of linguistic and ethnic groups. Numerous diverse tribes, varying greatly in terms of language, customs, and culture, inhabit this region. Plains tribes and hill tribes differ greatly in terms of their sociocultural makeup. Assam had 31,169,272 people living there as of the 2011 census. In Assam, there are 23 scheduled tribes (ST) that have been notified. Of them, the Bodos comprise 44.5% of the overall ST population, or roughly 13 percent of the state. The largest ethnolinguistic group in the Indian state of Assam is the Bodo Kacharis, sometimes referred to as Bodo/Boro (both terms used interchangeably). The majority of them are located in the valley of the Brahmaputra River in the northeast. Although shifting farming was practised, the majority of them are permanent farmers. A small percentage of them have converted to Christianity, while the majority still practise Hinduism. The Bodo people formerly practised Bathouism. The main holiday observed by the Bodos is Bwisagu, a springtime celebration meant to ring in the new year. Bodo Kachari Women