A Thematic Exploration of Women’s Participation in Political Movements in Darjeeling
Neha Tamang
Assistant Professor Department of Political Science Sripat Singh College and Research Scholar of Department of Political Science in Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu
S. Prabhakaran
Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Annamalai University
Women's involvement in political movements has been a powerful sign of both socio-political change and gender empowerment for decades. In the case of Darjeeling, a historically region characterized by ethnic identity conflicts, demands for autonomy, and grassroots mobilizations, women have been a central but frequently neglected force. This paper explores the complex layers of women's participation in political struggles in Darjeeling, mapping their contributions from the Gorkhaland movement to current day civic agitations. The paper examines how the intersections of cultural identity, socio-economic status, and gender roles mobilize to define the nature and magnitude of women's activism. Based on historical accounts, ground-level observations, and feminist theoretical perspectives, the study brings to the fore both the agency and the limitations faced by women activists in a patriarchal political environment. By bringing their voices and experiences to the centre, the study not only enriches the regional political movement discourse but also problematizes traditional understandings of political participation, calling for inclusive and gender-sensitive analyses in conflict zones such as Darjeeling.
Keywords: Women’s empowerment, Political participation, Gender hierarchies, Representation, Intersectionality,
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