A Cross-Cultural Analysis Of Indigenous Feminism In History And Its Impact On Modern India

Abstract

This research represents an investigation into Indigenous feminisms in India with a cross-cultural perspective, focusing on oral histories and lived experiences of Indigenous women leaders and activists. Informed by the collusion of colonialism, patriarchy, and indigeneity, this research examines the active and consistent themes of feminist practice and the influence of these themes and practices on the formation of present-day feminist ideologies. This is a mixed-methods study guided by qualitative and quantitative methods. A purposive sample of 200 Indigenous women in a multitude of tribal communities was drawn upon for the research, and data were collected using structured questionnaires. The data was analyzed using statistical analysis with tools including SPSS and MS Excel through a combination of correlation, regression and t-tests. The results suggest Indigenous oral histories have associated feminist narratives, moderate levels of correlation between Indigenous identity and feminist strategies, and some statistically significant evidence that Indigenous feminist thought influences contemporary feminist ideology. The research indicates there are diverse grassroots feminist strategies across communities and emphasizes 'kinds of feminisms’ as those that are culturally situated and may require historical depth. The research concludes that intelligence embedded in Indigenous feminisms an avenue of transformation that both critiques colonial oppression and patriarchy by returning to traditions of community knowledge to provide space for feminist discourse that is meaningful and relevant to context.