Contribution short abstract:

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.