The Backbone That Holds Kashmir Together
By Irfan Jaffer
Women in Kashmir play a crucial role in the community, often unseen and underappreciated. Despite progress on the surface, the reality on the ground tells a more complex story.
Many women participate in self-help groups and attend meetings, yet their autonomy is limited. They may handle group finances but have little control over household decisions.
Gender roles are deeply ingrained, with women sometimes enforcing restrictions on other women within the family. This normalization of inequality poses a significant challenge to empowerment efforts.
Engaging men in conversations rather than accusations can lead to positive change. Fathers and husbands expressing support for women’s education and equitable division of household responsibilities can shift societal norms.
However, many empowerment initiatives fall short by focusing on symbolic gestures rather than tangible change. Women are often relegated to passive roles in decision-making processes, undermining the impact of empowerment programs.
True empowerment must extend beyond events and programs to influence women’s daily lives. It requires systemic changes that provide women with the freedom to make choices and challenge traditional norms.
Empowerment efforts must address not only individual confidence but also the broader community and societal structures that perpetuate gender inequality.
- The author is a Gender Studies postgraduate and Cluster Lead with the Human Welfare Voluntary Organization, focusing on gender and grassroots social change. For inquiries, contact: [email protected].
