Young women’s everyday political actions in a North Indian informal settlement / Jul 30, 2020 [Virtual Session]

Some scholars have examined the various ways in which youth are shaping the city as an outcome of their social and political actions. These studies, however, mainly focus on the actions of young men, downplaying the role of young women who are often portrayed as passive actors. Drawing on eight months of ethnographic fieldwork, I have analysed how young married women in an informal migrant settlement reflect on their everyday social and political actions in relation to their position at home. In this SEED session, I will unpack how these young women challenge the various forms of violence that they experience in their neighbourhood and households, such as eviction and domestic violence. I will discuss how their capacity to be active across social and political domains varies within the settlement and depends on age, migration status, and community relations.

Presented by Febe De Geest

Session Chair: Reden Recio