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Paper short abstract:

Different segments of the Indian society have commented on and/or written about globalisation. From a feminist perspective, starting from Dalits and tribes to upper caste and class, globalisation has been the centre of interest for various women groups since the opening of the Indian economic market in the early 1990s. Women activists, academics and grassroots´ organisations produced numerous writings, songs and documentaries on globalisation and its impact on the development of urban and rural India. This paper focuses particularly on writings and alternative modes of expression of marginalized women in Andhra Pradesh in which they underline their views on the postive and negatives impacts of globalisation on their lives. Songs, poems, pamflets, posters and writings in Hindi, Telugu and English are the sources for highlighting their lives, protests, pespectives and ultimately their voices. Particularly the interconnection between globalisation and development policies and their negative and/or positive influence on marginalized women´s groups is analysed by examining women´s texts. In conclusion, the paper will discuss the interaction between the women´s movements and the society at large and how changing framework conditions influence both sides. This paper is embedded in a feminist and “post”-colonial theoretical perspectives as it argues that the era of globalisation is yet another form of colonialism. Parallels are drawn when looking at the embodiment of women, economic structures and political frameworks. The so called development agencies and their impact on large parts of the Indian society have often been argued to be another form of European colonial power. The theoretical background as well as the findings of the paper highlight the interplay of the triangle of globalisation, development and marginalized women´s voices.

Paper long abstract:

Different segments of the Indian society have commented on and/or written about globalisation. From a feminist perspective, starting from Dalits and tribes to upper caste and class, globalisation has been the centre of interest for various women groups since the opening of the Indian economic market in the early 1990s. Women activists, academics and grassroots´ organisations produced numerous writings, songs and documentaries on globalisation and its impact on the development of urban and rural India. This paper focuses particularly on writings and alternative modes of expression of marginalized women in Andhra Pradesh in which they underline their views on the postive and negatives impacts of globalisation on their lives. Songs, poems, pamflets, posters and writings in Hindi, Telugu and English are the sources for highlighting their lives, protests, pespectives and ultimately their voices. Particularly the interconnection between globalisation and development policies and their negative and/or positive influence on marginalized women´s groups is analysed by examining women´s texts. This paper is embedded in a feminist and "post"-colonial theoretical perspectives as it argues that the era of globalisation is yet another form of colonialism. Parallels are drawn when looking at the embodiment of women, economic structures and political frameworks. The theoretical background as well as the findings of the paper highlight the interplay of the triangle of globalisation, development and marginalized women´s voices.