Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Volume 30, Issue 2, Page 217-227, June 2023.
Women’s activism in the Hindu right has gone through communication and mobilisation shifts in the context of Covid-19. The article traces how the hierarchy and coordination within the Durga Vahini—the women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad facilitate the propagation of two primary goals of seva, and sanskar in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Through semi-structured interviews with the representatives of the organisation, the article focuses on understanding mobilisation strategies like e-satsangs, accommodation of marginalised groups through the distribution of raw food resources, and manipulation of mythological narratives for the recruitment of young girls to propagate Hindu nationalism. The core argument of the article is focused on understanding these mobilisation tactics and changing nature seva in the times of pandemic.
Category Archives: Indian Journal of Gender Studies
Women and Resistance in the Conflict-Affected Bodoland Territorial Council Region of Assam
Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Volume 30, Issue 2, Page 188-208, June 2023.
The Bodoland territorial council (BTC) region of Assam has witnessed many conflicts in the past. The women of the conflicting communities, Bodo, Bengali-speaking Muslims, and Adivasi, have largely borne the brunt of these conflicts. The societies are patriarchal and women face domination at various levels—family, society, and state. This article seeks to answer the question, ‘How do the conflict-affected women belonging to the Bodo, Bengali-speaking Muslim and Adivasi communities in BTC display resistance against the dominant forces in the family, society, and state?’ The article attempts to understand the forms of resistance (overt, physical or confrontational, and everyday forms of resistance) displayed by these women, by analysing the in-depth interviews conducted with them. The narratives help us understand their condition, their struggles, and the ways in which they display resistance against the dominant forces. The article argues that the Bodo women display overt resistance, such as participating in the Bodoland movement, holding protests, contesting elections, and carrying out peace marches against insurgencies and ethnic conflicts. The Bengali-speaking Muslim women display everyday forms of resistance, such as pursuing education, holding jobs, maintaining silence and refraining from making contact with members of the dominant community. The Adivasi women display physical resistance, such as engaging in direct confrontation with forest officials, and overt resistance, like participating in protests and social movements to demand their rights.
The Bodoland territorial council (BTC) region of Assam has witnessed many conflicts in the past. The women of the conflicting communities, Bodo, Bengali-speaking Muslims, and Adivasi, have largely borne the brunt of these conflicts. The societies are patriarchal and women face domination at various levels—family, society, and state. This article seeks to answer the question, ‘How do the conflict-affected women belonging to the Bodo, Bengali-speaking Muslim and Adivasi communities in BTC display resistance against the dominant forces in the family, society, and state?’ The article attempts to understand the forms of resistance (overt, physical or confrontational, and everyday forms of resistance) displayed by these women, by analysing the in-depth interviews conducted with them. The narratives help us understand their condition, their struggles, and the ways in which they display resistance against the dominant forces. The article argues that the Bodo women display overt resistance, such as participating in the Bodoland movement, holding protests, contesting elections, and carrying out peace marches against insurgencies and ethnic conflicts. The Bengali-speaking Muslim women display everyday forms of resistance, such as pursuing education, holding jobs, maintaining silence and refraining from making contact with members of the dominant community. The Adivasi women display physical resistance, such as engaging in direct confrontation with forest officials, and overt resistance, like participating in protests and social movements to demand their rights.
COVID-19 and Its Impact on Diverse Aspects of Women’s Lives
Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Volume 30, Issue 2, Page 148-169, June 2023.
The objective of this article is to study the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of women by exploring different aspects like their daily work patterns, hygiene practices, psychological effects and nutritional status during the pandemic. 510 women participated in the online survey. The majority of the respondents belonged to the age group of 20–29 years and were either graduates or above. 37.3% of the working respondents reported increased professional responsibilities during the pandemic. Cooking and cleaning occupied most of the time during the lockdown. Anxiety, lack of concentration and frequent arguments with the family members were reported by the respondents. Many of the respondents took up physical activities to maintain their fitness. They also believed that usage of masks would prevent them from catching the infection. 75.2% of women included vitamin-rich sources in their diet. This level of consciousness might be linked to the educational profile of the respondents.
The objective of this article is to study the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of women by exploring different aspects like their daily work patterns, hygiene practices, psychological effects and nutritional status during the pandemic. 510 women participated in the online survey. The majority of the respondents belonged to the age group of 20–29 years and were either graduates or above. 37.3% of the working respondents reported increased professional responsibilities during the pandemic. Cooking and cleaning occupied most of the time during the lockdown. Anxiety, lack of concentration and frequent arguments with the family members were reported by the respondents. Many of the respondents took up physical activities to maintain their fitness. They also believed that usage of masks would prevent them from catching the infection. 75.2% of women included vitamin-rich sources in their diet. This level of consciousness might be linked to the educational profile of the respondents.
The ‘Housewife’ on an Education Mission: An Ethnographic Portrait
Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Volume 30, Issue 2, Page 127-147, June 2023.
The article employs the ethnographic portrait of the founder and co-owner of a chain of girls’ madrasas in a Muslim-dominated mofussil town in Uttar Pradesh to illuminate the current moment at which girls’ madrasas stand in a rapidly changing India. These madrasas use a range of imaginaries from the global ummah to the pious educated Indian Muslim woman to recast madrasa education, offering a mix of formalised religious education and modern schooling in safe ‘purdah’ institutions. The article illustrates how girls’ madrasas are both a source and result of the changing imagery of the kamil momina or ideal Islamic woman in India. It teases out the connections between these various strands to illustrate larger social implications and argues that contemporary girls’ madrasas do not conform to the binaries of social reproduction and empowerment that have been conventionally applied to studies on madrasas.
The article employs the ethnographic portrait of the founder and co-owner of a chain of girls’ madrasas in a Muslim-dominated mofussil town in Uttar Pradesh to illuminate the current moment at which girls’ madrasas stand in a rapidly changing India. These madrasas use a range of imaginaries from the global ummah to the pious educated Indian Muslim woman to recast madrasa education, offering a mix of formalised religious education and modern schooling in safe ‘purdah’ institutions. The article illustrates how girls’ madrasas are both a source and result of the changing imagery of the kamil momina or ideal Islamic woman in India. It teases out the connections between these various strands to illustrate larger social implications and argues that contemporary girls’ madrasas do not conform to the binaries of social reproduction and empowerment that have been conventionally applied to studies on madrasas.
Disempowering Women and Constructing Muslims as ‘Other’: A Study of India’s Anti-Conversion Legislations
Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Volume 30, Issue 2, Page 170-187, June 2023.
As a constitutional democracy, India remains committed to the cherished values of individual liberty and freedom of conscience which form the core of the fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution. However, in the last few years, we have witnessed a marked departure and foundational shift in the pursuit of these values. What we see in terms of the curtailment of women’s freedom, dictating personal relationship choices and maligning Muslims as a danger to Hindu women’s honour, delivers a severe blow to our pluralistic ethos and the cherished values of coexistence. The recently enacted legislations dressed up as anti-conversion laws to criminalise love choices bear a clear reflection of Nazi Germany’s Nuremberg Laws in many ways. Against the background of the state making intrusions into private spaces, denying the right to choose partners and acting as an oppressive surveillance agency, this study argues that these laws subvert the vision of our constitutional democracy and defy various judicial orders. It examines the literature on Hindu rights for women, analyses the contents of the legislation considering the contemporary discourse, to argue that these laws amount to undoing our achievements as a secular modern nation in the last seven decades.
As a constitutional democracy, India remains committed to the cherished values of individual liberty and freedom of conscience which form the core of the fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution. However, in the last few years, we have witnessed a marked departure and foundational shift in the pursuit of these values. What we see in terms of the curtailment of women’s freedom, dictating personal relationship choices and maligning Muslims as a danger to Hindu women’s honour, delivers a severe blow to our pluralistic ethos and the cherished values of coexistence. The recently enacted legislations dressed up as anti-conversion laws to criminalise love choices bear a clear reflection of Nazi Germany’s Nuremberg Laws in many ways. Against the background of the state making intrusions into private spaces, denying the right to choose partners and acting as an oppressive surveillance agency, this study argues that these laws subvert the vision of our constitutional democracy and defy various judicial orders. It examines the literature on Hindu rights for women, analyses the contents of the legislation considering the contemporary discourse, to argue that these laws amount to undoing our achievements as a secular modern nation in the last seven decades.
An Unjust Mercy: Locating the Illegalities in the Release of the Convicts in the Bilkis Bano Case
Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Volume 30, Issue 2, Page 209-216, June 2023.
The Gujarat government’s decision on 15 August 2022, to release all 11 prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment in the Bilkis Bano case has serious implications, both for the rights of Bilkis Bano herself and the policy landscape around reformative prison measures like remission and premature release. Here I attempt to locate the release within a larger national context wherein carceral notions of justice, typified by longer and harsher prison sentences, are gaining currency both within the government and judiciary. I examine the deeply flawed process by which the prisoners came to be released, highlighting the arbitrariness and legal infirmities that render the government’s decision illegal.
The Gujarat government’s decision on 15 August 2022, to release all 11 prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment in the Bilkis Bano case has serious implications, both for the rights of Bilkis Bano herself and the policy landscape around reformative prison measures like remission and premature release. Here I attempt to locate the release within a larger national context wherein carceral notions of justice, typified by longer and harsher prison sentences, are gaining currency both within the government and judiciary. I examine the deeply flawed process by which the prisoners came to be released, highlighting the arbitrariness and legal infirmities that render the government’s decision illegal.
New Resources
Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Volume 30, Issue 2, Page 258-262, June 2023.
Falling Between the Cracks: Women’s Work and the Periodic Labour Force Survey
Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Volume 30, Issue 2, Page 228-235, June 2023.
This article reflects upon the changes introduced in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and their impact on the visibility of women’s work in India. In 2017–2018, the National Sample Survey Organisation’s five-yearly employment–unemployment surveys (EUS) were replaced by the annual PLFS, and in the transition, the section that comprised probing questions was dropped. These questions had been introduced in 1972–1973 to highlight women’s productive activities, which otherwise remain invisible. The section was key to collecting information on not only women’s reproductive work but also the unrecognised productive work women undertake within the walls of their homes. It provided a window in a society where women’s work is underestimated as well as unappreciated.
This article reflects upon the changes introduced in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and their impact on the visibility of women’s work in India. In 2017–2018, the National Sample Survey Organisation’s five-yearly employment–unemployment surveys (EUS) were replaced by the annual PLFS, and in the transition, the section that comprised probing questions was dropped. These questions had been introduced in 1972–1973 to highlight women’s productive activities, which otherwise remain invisible. The section was key to collecting information on not only women’s reproductive work but also the unrecognised productive work women undertake within the walls of their homes. It provided a window in a society where women’s work is underestimated as well as unappreciated.