Political space and the space in between: participation of indigenous women in the upland region of India

Six decades have passed since the Naga indigenous community achieved statehood, but despite women’s participation, there is limited female voice and representation in the political space. Naga indigenous women’s political rights are limited due to multiple challenges and various intersecting forms of oppression, but no measures have been taken seriously to address this issue. Hence, the following are the four objectives that this research addressed: i) the forms and patterns of participation for Naga indigenous women in political space, ii) the impeding factors, risks, and opportunities that influence or bar Naga indigenous women’s participation, iii) men’s perceptions and attitudes towards the participation of Naga indigenous women, and iv) an examination of any space beyond the political space for Naga indigenous women’s emancipation for empowerment and participation.

A qualitative methodological approach and in-depth interviewing were employed to explore the participation of Naga indigenous women in three spaces: the state electoral political space, the indigenous traditional village institutes for self-governance, and Naga indigenous women’s organizations. The concept of space is built on Andrea Cornwall’s (2002, 2004, 2007) work on spaces: closed space as the electoral political space, which is difficult for women to participate in; invited space as the indigenous traditional institute (local self-governance) that invites women to participate but with a limited choice; and the organic/claimed space as the indigenous women’s organization the space in between, a collective space for women to assert their power, agency, and subjectivities.

This study demonstrates that the indigenous women’s use power, open and hidden resilience and resistance as individual and collective agency to reclaim their rights and advocate their interests without being seen as attacking the traditional norms and status quo. The study also demonstrates the role of the heritage in undermining women’s empowerment but also its role in creating a counter-narrative through the recollection of folklore and legends thus, challenging the patriarchal mainstream. This study makes a unique contribution to the larger debate on empowerment by constructing situated empowerment from the indigenous women’s worldview, to gain recognition, self-awareness, and self-determination for women’s rights. The study also demonstrates the converging and diverging discourse and tensions by exploring men’s perception of women’s political engagement. The study advocates enforcing gender parity within party systems, facilitating equitable access to financial resources and funding for campaigns, addressing corruption and other malpractices, and finally supporting the evolution of customary law in a consensual manner to address the misconceptions. The inspiration for this research is rooted in the researcher’s childhood memories and her embodiment as a Naga indigenous woman.