Unheard but Unyielding
Gujjar and Bakerwal Women’s Strategic Resistance in the Pursuit of Higher Education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24215470 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marve Batool Sofi (0009-0007-2309-2947, Indian Institute of Technology Jammu), Amitash Ojha (Indian Institute of Technology Jammu) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-09-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of South Asian Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0973-1741 • E-ISSN: 0973-1733 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/09731741261483342 |
| OpenAlex | W7214166717 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 52 |
The complex interaction of cultural constraints, patriarchal norms and ingrained power asymmetries often shapes the higher educational experiences of tribal women in India. Despite these systemic barriers, many women from these marginalized groups carve their way into academic spaces through strategic actions and calculated choices. However, these everyday acts of resistance and negotiation are often overlooked in academic discourse. This article critically examines the ways in which women belonging to the Gujjar and Bakerwal tribal communities of Jammu and Kashmir navigate the rigid patriarchal and cultural boundaries to establish their presence in higher education. The findings reveal that these women operate in highly patriarchal, hierarchical and oppressive power structures by engaging in subtle acts of rebellion, strategic silences and culturally sanctioned methods of negotiation to assert autonomy and pursue their academic goals. Engaging with Kandiyoti’s (1988) patriarchal bargains and Kabeer’s (1999) situated agency, the article contests the dominant narratives that portray tribal women as passive victims of oppression. It emphasizes the possibilities for transformative change embedded in everyday strategies in subaltern contexts, emphasizing a more layered and context-specific approach to understanding agency in academic frameworks.
cultural constraints · higher education access · Jammu and Kashmir · marginalized communities · patriarchal bargain · Patriarchy · situated agency · subaltern agency · tribal women · women's autonomy · Gender and Feminist Studies · Gender, Education, and Development Issues · South Asian Studies and Diaspora
Gender in the Mirror
Well-Being, Agency and Freedom
O uso de triangulação múltipla como estratégia de validação em um estudo qualitativo
Students and brides
Good parents’ strive to raise ‘innocent daughters’
Higher Education and the Largest Impoverished and Marginalized Group of the Indian Population
Agency as a Sociological Variable
Exploring Women's Agency and Empowerment in Developing Countries
Female friendship and care in a North Indian university
Marriage Migration, Patriarchal Bargains, and Wife Abuse
In Pursuit of Education
Autonomy and Decision-making Ability among Gujjar Women of Kashmir
Gender Dynamics in Schooling
Seeking a break from home’
Gender, identity and higher education
Educational exclusion and socio-cultural constraints for tribal women in the Ganderbal district
Gender inequality in education and employment in the scheduled castes and tribes of India
Hinduism and Female Sexuality
The Dashing Ladies of Shiv Sena
Higher Education among Warli Tribe Girls of Maharashtra
The tyranny of gendered spaces - reflections from beyond the gender dichotomy
Social Cognitive Theory
From words to worlds
Focus groups
Social mobility through higher education
The Conditions of Politics
Resources, Agency, Achievements
Margins of faith and ethnicity
Preserving Indian Culture
A Step-by-Step Process of Thematic Analysis to Develop a Conceptual Model in Qualitative Research
Bargaining With Patriarchy
Gender, Veiling, and Class
Research on Household Labor
A Theory of Structure
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |