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Contribution short abstract:

This contribution will discuss the importance of sports in shaping and breaking gender norms (using examples from Afghanistan) and collaborate on ideas for doing this effectively in the Global South.

Contribution long abstract:

The aspiration cycle was derived from the findings of 11 interviews conducted in July 2021. This cycle helps explain how women in Afghanistan get involved in sports, as well as discusses some of the positive effects of this participation. Additionally, research found that women identified that sports participation can transform gender perceptions in their communities. This contribution would like do a short presentation on the aspiration cycle and its associated findings, and then facilitate a discussion on how the lessons learned from the Afghanistan experience may be applicable to other countries in the Global South. This contribution will be centred on how sports can play a role in changing gender norms for a more equitable world.

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The proposal seeks to analyze and challenge prevalent gender norms within judicial operators when addressing conflict-related sexual violence,providing recommendations on ways to incorporate foster changes in social norms.

Contribution long abstract:

This proposal seeks to analyze and challenge prevalent gender norms within judicial operators when addressing conflict-related sexual violence, with a particular focus on exploring the Colombian Transitional Jurisdiction of Peace (JEP) as a case study. Our inquiry centers on examining normative shifts, gender-based judicial stereotyping, and the formation of Macro Case 11 about “gender-based violence, sexual violence, reproductive violence, and other crimes committed out of prejudice based on sexual orientation, expression and/or diverse gender identity within the framework of the Colombian armed conflict”

We critically examine how notions of victims and conflict-related sexual violence are addressed. To achieve this, we undertake an analysis of the documents outlining the creation of Macro Case 11, drawing on our experiences as feminist researchers and practitioners in Colombia. We offer insights to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, providing recommendations on ways to incorporate a more expansive feminist approach, human rights of womens and lgbti persons and specially and foster changes in social norms. The primary objective is to contribute to deter the replication of gender stereotypes and social norms found in transitional justice tribunals and improve the achievement of peace without gender discrimination.

Colombia is at the forefront of gender mainstreaming in transicional justice tribunals, reflecting the concerted efforts of feminist organizations, spearheaded by the coalition of women and LGBT organizations known as 5 Keys. We propose recommendations for adjustments to the jurisdiction, emphasizing specific attention to the advancements in Colombian normative achieved by the Constitutional Court, feminist organizations, and international literature.

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My paper builds on the Dravidian feminist scholarship on gender and Self-Respect movement. I propose to provide a new comparative framework to understand the radicalism of the movement politics of marriage, masculinity, modern conjugality and self-respect.

Contribution long abstract:

The Self Respect movement, later subsumed into what is now known as the Dravidian movement, emerged in South India during the early 20th century. It was simultaneously a response to British colonial oppression and a reaction to the caste system and brahmanical patriarchy. The movement aimed to promote the self-respect and dignity of the lower-caste Dravidian people and dismantle brahminical hegemony that had dominated the region for centuries. Much work has been done on the role of the Self-Respect movement in political spheres, but not much attention has been paid to how it challenged prevailing notions of masculinity and femininity, and almost by force, dragged Tamil society into the modern age. Periyar rightly saw caste being founded upon, and propagated around female sexuality. In his view, and in the view of the self-respect movement followers, the way to destroy caste was to destroy traditional gender roles and norms that reinforced male dominance and female subordination.

Women, in Periyar’s eyes, had to take greater control over themselves, over their bodies, and their sexualities, and thus question existing brahmin notions of masculinity. In essence this is a movement towards modernity, towards a more open, sexually liberated society where gender differences can begin to break down.

In this paper, I present Periyar’s writings on gender, his call to women of the Self-Respect movement to liberate themselves and thus destroy masculinity. Periyar asks women to free themselves from notions of chastity and purity, seek contraception and birth control measures, and in his words, “Let masculinity die.”

I also argue in this paper that some of the diverse factions operating within the Self-Respect movement had vested interests including cultural and ethnic nationalism and parochialism, which co opted patriarchy. In heeding Periyar’s call thus, the women of the Self-Respect movement emphasised the importance of non-violence and peaceful resistance, rejecting the masculine notion that aggression and physical strength were the only means of achieving political and social change. Thus foreshadowing, perhaps predicting later political struggles including the Indian Independence movement, and the Anti-Vietnam protests of the 1960s and 70s.

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The paper interrogates how gender norms shape land access in rural areas to the detriment of women and girls, based on Zimbabwe as the heuristic case. The paper is activist and contributes to efforts for enhancing and sustaining gender norms change for the benefit of all.

Contribution long abstract:

Diversity and change acknowledged gender inequality and injustice are enduring barrages to inclusive development globally. Achieving gender equality is topical in frameworks, protocols and policies yet negative gender norms continue to mire the productive, reproductive and protective dimensions of the wellbeing of mainly women and girls, while acknowledging diversity within these general categories. At a time when scholars and practitioners are navigating effective pathways for eliminating gender norms that create, facilitate and sustain gender inequality and injustice, this paper interrogates the interface of gender norms, land access and gender justice in Zimbabwe’s resettlement areas. These areas were borne out of the need to reverse racial inequalities in land tenure, enhancing equity in land access, creating agricultural production hubs, and transforming development. Yet, how gender norms are playing out in relation to land access and livelihoods requires more nuanced exploration. Principal to the paper are four questions: a) What are the roots and routes of gender norms and inequality in resettlements? b) How are gender norms shaping land access in relation to gender compartmentalisation – men, women and girls, and within these broad categories? c) What are the changes and continuities in gender norms in relation to land access, ownership, use and transfer? d) How can gender norms change in resettlements and broadly rural areas be broadened and sustained? Overall, the paper is activist in orientation and pushes a transformative agenda for gender norms change for the benefit of women and girls.

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This paper examines the critical role of traditional and evolving gender norms on the way women perceive risk in the context of their pursuit of autonomy and empowerment using the precarious experiences of Ghanaian female migrants in the Gulf states.

Contribution long abstract:

The imperative to attain gender equitable development outcomes has propelled women's empowerment as a significant global development objective. In Ghana, the migration of women to the Gulf countries has emerged as a contemporary phenomenon that offers a means of survival and social mobility. This strategy which has been beneficial for women looking to enhance their autonomy has often resulted in shifts in traditional gender roles. While women’s agency to make decisions about their mobility advances gender equality argument, such decisions are not without risks peculiar to them. Thus, the increase in the migration of women as either regular or irregular labour migrants has increased the risk of exploitation and gendered violence.

This paper analyzes how women perceive and understand the risks associated with the migration process. It also takes into account their risk knowledges both within their local context and beyond. The study applies the principle of narrative ethnography and biographical risk, allowing participants an opportunity to speak about themselves and their experiences of migration as potential, current migrants, and returnees. The research makes the argument that, the conceptualization of risk in relation to the migration process serves two functions: first, to reinforce agency for migrant women in households where gender norms are shifting, and secondly, to empower women in traditional gender households in challenging norms. Furthermore, it highlights the distinct understanding of agency within Ghanaian traditional households and how this influences the way risk is conceptualised in order to align with cultural norms, in ensuring the preservation of traditional household.

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Contribution short abstract:

The paper examines strategies through which men and women in Medellin, Colombia have negotiated, contested, or resisted change in gender norms in the context of rising female employment, to shed light on contributing factors to slow progress in domestic equality.

Contribution long abstract:

Since the 1980s, Colombian women have undergone a rapid catch-up in their labour force participation, while men’s participation in unpaid work has been slow to change. Women’s negotiations to participate in paid work often rest on compromises that promise to uphold their domestic responsibilities or adapt their work arrangements and aspirations around housekeeping and caregiving. How, then, do men and women negotiate resilient gender norms around the division of unpaid work?

The paper investigates how gender norms are themselves subject to negotiation in intra-household bargaining processes (Agarwal, 1997) in Medellin’s urban periphery. It is based on a mixed-methods study of households in Medellin’s popular sectors between 2020 and early 2021, in a context of crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies diverse practices through which men and women negotiate, contest, or resist change in gender norms in Medellin households. These include practices of withholding, deflection, engagement, and reframing. It differentiates between strategies that directly contest norms and those that occur within normative boundaries and their likelihood of changing the division of labour. The most successful strategies appeared to draw on values of responsibility, a new sense of belonging, companionship, and reinterpretations of masculine identity that acknowledge the positive benefits of men’s involvement in the family. Research findings also suggest that in the Colombian context, because of the cultural significance of the family, persuasions and negotiations between generations emerge as a critical pathway through which norms change or are reproduced, in addition to interactions between cohabitating partners.

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Expanding the discourse on gender and development through the incorporation of intersectionality, this ethnographic study elucidates how Muslim women in Kerala navigate gendered norms embedded in religion to engage in the political process.

Contribution long abstract:

Pious Dissent: Unraveling Muslim Women's Negotiation for Political Participation in Kerala, South India.

Dr .P. Shabna, pshabna@iimraipur.ac.in

This paper aims to explicate the negotiation processes undertaken by Muslim women in their endeavor to engage in political activities subsequent to the implementation of a new reservation policy announced by the Kerala state government after 1990s. Employing an ethnographic approach, the study delves into the intricate ways in which Muslim women navigate gender norms imposed by the religious authorities which act as impediments to their political participation. The analysis contextualizes these negotiations within intra-community sectarian debates, the political economy of the state, the complex political landscape of the country, and the prevailing narrative depicting Muslim women as ‘victims of their religion’. The study elucidates how embodying piety strategically positions women to challenge and transform prevailing gender norms within their community. Drawing upon feminist political geographical theory, the study analyzes the articulation of agency by women and the power dynamics inherent in their political participation.

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Contribution short abstract:

Based on 65 interviews with Haitian migrants in Brazil we explore the role of migration in shifting gender norms. While there has been a focus on the economic impacts of migration, we argue that this focus needs to be expanded to include social and gender equality concerns.

Contribution long abstract:

Based on 65 semi-structured interviews with Haitians who migrated to Brazil after the 2010 earthquake, this paper aims to explore if and how South-South migration leads to changes in gender norms. Although more is known regarding the economic changes on the lives of individuals upon migration (e.g. development of skills, higher wages, reduction of poverty), evidence is patchy regarding the role that gender norms play at changing the lives of migrants. Similarly, the way that individuals negotiate, adapt or reject new norms in South-South migration is less known.

Using the framework by Holly and Reeves (2005), we observed potential gender norms shifts towards: i) greater freedom of movement; ii) dress and outward appearance; iii) less acceptance of gender-based violence; iv) greater acceptance of women in paid work and; v) greater autonomy and decision-making process. Our analysis suggests these changes have been driven by factors such as a new economic household structure, opportunities to continue studying, exposure to lessen norms around purity and modesty and more progressive legislation. However, our data also shows that Haitian women have not perceived changes in other gender norms, in part because these are also part of Brazilian society. This was the case of women’s engagement in the job market and norms around unpaid care and domestic work. Thus, independence and empowerment come with a cost as Haitian women in our study bear the double burden of working within and outside of the household, having implications in their empowerment and integration in their host society.

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This paper explores how women in Indian Sundarbans use their voluntary labour to build a collective identity, resist gender inequalities and support communities with climate change responses despite resistance, challenges of a changing climate and in a context where ‘activism’ is often suppressed.

Contribution long abstract:

This paper examines how women in Indian Sundarbans are using their voluntary labour as a site for gendered resistance. The Indian Sundarbans region is threatened by growing numbers of cyclones, sea-level rise and saline water intrusion impacting already vulnerable communities (Ghosh et al., 2018). Civil society climate change activism is receiving significant attention and volunteers are increasingly seen by policy-makers as crucial capacity for climate emergency responses. Yet, limited research has investigated the relationships between climate adaptation strategies and voluntary labour amongst women.

We draw on data collected (diaries and photovoice) as part of the Voluntary Labour, Climate Adaptation and Disasters (VOCAD) initiative, in collaboration with local organisations aimed at understanding the roles of voluntary work in climate adaptation strategies. We explore how women’s engagement in voluntary responses to the impacts of climate change help build collective identities and confidence to challenge gendered roles despite resistance from communities and families and where ‘activism’ is increasingly suppressed. First, we explore how women construct collective identities through their voluntary labour in a context under significant stress from climate change. Second, this paper explores how voluntary labour enables women to bridge and connect organisations and communities coping with the impacts of those stresses. Thirdly, we examine how gendered volunteer labour can disrupt social norms in everyday life. We conclude that women in the Indian Sundarbans are resourcefully using their volunteer labour to provide critical support to climate adaptation responses. Their volunteering is transforming them, their families and communities and is disrupting gender inequalities.

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Drawing on research conducted in five African cities, this paper highlights the pivotal role education represents in breaking patterns of social, political and economic exclusion that disproportionately affect young women and girls in urban areas.

Contribution long abstract:

Despite youth representing a demographic majority in African cities, their needs for equal and uninterrupted access to quality education have not always represented a priority for the state. Low quality education and limited access to education for disenfranchised youth, including women, have prevented young people from realising their educational aspirations and pursuing school-to-work transitions on they pathway to social adulthood. For the most part, the ‘youth question’ has become a highly contentious and politicised subject, and young people in cities often face issues related to access and exclusion based on social norms and expectations. For young women and adolescent girls in particular, the needs to get by in cities often leads to interrupted educational pathways, which results in disenfranchising outcomes for their transitions towards adulthood. This paper presents findings from research conducted in Addis Ababa, Freetown, Kampala, Maiduguri, Mogadishu in 2022 and 2023 as part of the African Cities Research Consortium. Findings presented highlight the centrality of education in the lives of young people across the five cities, where youth navigate between formal and informal education provision, face issues in low quality and access, and confront issues around gender norms related to dropouts in response to early pregnancies. Fundings suggest that the pivotal role of education represents the key to breaking patterns of exclusion that disproportionately affect young women and girls in urban areas, while highlighting the role of programmatic interventions focused on young people’s education that have made an impact on access and integration across the five cities.

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This paper explores the challenges in understanding Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and the co-production of related evaluation targets. We present findings from mixed-method research among young women taking part in the SHE SOARS project youth groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Contribution long abstract:

The widespread endorsement of Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as a fundamental human right has led to the expansion of SRHR programming across the globe. Yet, despite awareness that out-of-school adolescent women face significantly higher barriers in accessing rights, services and legal protection, they are seldom the primary target of SRHR programming. This is arguably because local and regional norms, centred around the restriction and control of young women’s bodies, attitudes and economic empowerment are often at odds with the idea of consensual, safe and pleasurable sexual experiences advocated by adolescent SRHR (ASRHR) research (Buller and Schulte, 2018). Understanding the importance of local norms also means developing a nuanced understanding of independent decision-making and autonomy in the context of norms against and for ASRHR, something that can seldom be understood by headline indicators from large cross-sectional surveys. This paper borrows from and expands on a mixed-methods methodology from the poverty literature (the Consensual Approach) to tackle these measurement challenges in the context of the SHE SOARS initiative, a youth-led project for young women taking place in informal urban settlements in Kenya, rural Zambia and refugee host communities in Uganda (CARE Canada, 2021). Through a set of focus groups followed by a survey we investigate young women’s understanding, preferences and endorsement of ARSHR rights as well as the individual, relational and norm-based obstacles to their access and reflect on implications for co-production of future ASRHR programme evaluations and related ASRHR survey modules.

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Contribution short abstract:

The research attempts to locate intersections of nomadism, gender, and marginalisation experienced by gujjar women in encounters of everyday. addressing questions of gender negotiations to pivot giving as gujjar women's relational philanthrophy in their local know-how and praxis of sisterhood.

Contribution long abstract:

Gujjars are ( semi) nomadic pastoralists and inhabit several parts of the Indian Subcontinent, having their specific traditions. These groups have faced systemic exclusion due to their migratory life practices and distinct cultural norms. The group I am researching with, constitute the third largest ethnic group in Jammu and Kashmir. Like other nomadic groups, their traditional practices of seasonal migration, rearing of livestock have undergone various changes due to urbanity and climate changes. Gujjar women face oppression, exclusion, and vulnerability due to the intersectional location of gender, and nomadism. Building on the narratives from feminist ethnography, the relationalities of women, earmarks the various forms of giving as pluralistic practices for community’s and each other’s wellbeing. The women’s caring for each other in their everyday lived experiences as a recognition to forms of giving essentially places gujjar women as enablers to create and imagine transformation to ‘giving’ perspectives. Women’s giving for each other lies in their everyday encounters of negotiation , responses to strict norms and changing contours of the nomadic homes. The gestures of giving reflect reciprocity, being there and belonging is an aspiration for wellbeing. The feminist ethnography through this paper locates praxis of sisterhood as alternate imaginings of giving; wherein the researcher listens life practices and philosophy of nomadism . The focus is to carve local know-how of women's experiences as source of knowledge rather than ‘non knowledge’ ( Devy, 2018) where wellbeing is articulated as conversation of development and nomadic way lifeworld.