Presentation short abstract

Drawing from a feminist political ecology lens, this study examines the subjective experiences of tribal and non-tribal women within state-mediated conservation policies in a location that has experienced prolonged socio-political upheavals.

Presentation long abstract

The community-led ecotourism projects primarily characterise inclusive participation of the vulnerable communities, specifically targeting areas of indigenous and environmentally sensitive zones. Literature demonstrates that while such inclusiveness provides communities with an option to participate in these projects, institutional entrenchment remains visible where the gendered hierarchies are foregrounded. Drawing from a tribal region of Odisha and using a feminist political ecology lens, this study explores how women’s subjectivity is shaped by state-mediated conservation policies. The field site has undergone long-standing socio-political and ecological transformations, shaped by colonial dominance, communal violence, and land conflicts between tribal and non-tribal communities. This invites a deeper inquiry into how women members from different ethnic communities come together to work on an ecotourism project, considering their existing dynamics, and whether it empowers them in reality or creates a layered hierarchy among them. To understand this, we conducted in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and oral histories with the participants. Our analysis shows that there is a clear reflection of communal differences where the women of non-tribal communities believe that tribal women enjoy more opportunities from the developmental programmes, whereas the tribal women themselves believe that, even though the ecotourism policy provides them with a sense of empowerment, however, due to their historical marginalisation, they remain unable to recognise themselves as stakeholders in this process.

Keywords: Ecotourism, Governance, Feminist Political Ecology, Women