Titolo della tesi: Adivasi Women’s Movements in Eastern India: South Bihar and Jharkhand since the 1980s
The thesis aims to analyze the social movements of women belonging to the Adivasi communities of eastern India from the 1980s to the present day. It focuses on the Oraons, Mundas, Santals and Hos, the major Adivasi communities in erstwhile southern Bihar and contemporary Jharkhand. It draws attention to various types of movements led by Adivasi women, i.e. movements against gender-based discrimination, ‘feminist’ movements, environmental movements, social, cultural and legal advocacy and movements against displacement. The four main research questions I address are: 1) What is the nature of Adivasi ‘feminist’ movements? 2) What are the strategies adopted by the leaders? 3) What is the affirmation space of Adivasi women at the grassroot level? 4) Above all, can we talk about an Adivasi feminism? To answer these questions, the study explores the assertion of Adivasi agency and mobilization at two levels: leadership and the grassroots.
At the leadership level, the research examines the strategies and ideologies of Adivasi women leaders for gender equality. These leaders employ a range of approaches, from organizing women’s collectives, meetings, and conferences to foster collective action and raise awareness about women’s rights, to promoting the role of women for the valorization of traditional knowledge and the mother-tongue. Additionally, many Adivasi women express ‘feminist’ ideas through creative forms such as poetry. The study explores how ‘feminist’ perspectives interact with and are shaped by Adivasi identity. Furthermore, the thesis highlights women’s participation in environmental and land-rights movements, analyzing the nature of their involvement and their contributions. In doing so, it examines not only explicitly feminist movements but also women’s participation in broader Adivasi struggles.
At the grassroots level, the thesis explores the activities and programmes organized by both Adivasi and non-Adivasi organizations for women’s empowerment and social uplift. It investigates different forms of women’s empowerment at the village level, including one led by Christian Adivasi organizations, as well as women’s economic collectives such as Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Additionally, the research examines women’s participation in local governance structures, particularly the Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas, with a focus on the role of the mukhiyā, the female village head.
Finally, beyond collective action related to land and gender issues, the study explores another form of mobilization: the demand of space of Adivasi women within historical narratives, particularly through the collective memory of women heroes from colonial-era.
By analyzing both leadership and grassroots movements, this research aims to contribute to a broader understanding of how Adivasi women assert their agency, contributing to the field of studies on both feminist and indigenous women’s movements.