The Mizoram Accord of 1986 carried the promise that 'the rights and privileges of the minorities ... more The Mizoram Accord of 1986 carried the promise that 'the rights and privileges of the minorities in Mizoram as envisaged in the Constitution shall continue to be preserved and protected, and their social and economic advancement shall be ensured'. These observations, reflecting the signing of the "Mizoram Accord" or "Memorandum of Settlement" between the Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Government of India on 30 June 1986 were expected to set in motion an inclusive process of socioeconomic development for all, including women after years of insurgency. This paper focuses on women who experienced the Mizo insurgency from 1966 to 1986, and addresses specific and largely unexamined aspects of the suffering experienced by them under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958. The story of the insurgency in Mizoram is not well known, the story of how women were affected is largely absent from history. Utilizing women's oral testimonies, the paper investigates the impact of insurgency on women and the extent to which the Accord's promises have affected their lives and livelihood.
Using the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl [MHIP] or Mizo Women's Organization as a case study, thi... more Using the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl [MHIP] or Mizo Women's Organization as a case study, this paper explores whether women's participation in informal politics leads to women's empowerment. Since the birth of the MHIP in 1972, the organization adopted various strategies, to try to improve the status for women in society. The MHIP has also tried to modify different Mizo Customary laws that disadvantage women in marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Beginning in 1980, they submitted several recommendations to the government. Focusing on the economic, social, and political development of women, the MHIP declared each year as 'Women's year' for the last 12 years (1997-2011). Although the MHIP has addressed the social and economic status of women, worked to improve women's status in the public sphere, and sought changes in Mizo Customary law, they have not challenged basic definitions of women's roles and the gendered division of work attached to these roles. This article adopts qualitative approach to understand the various strategies adopted by MHIP to improve women's status, it attempts to explore the issues MHIP addressed as well as their conception of women's essential nature and proper role in society. Data were collected over a period of six month during January 2019 to June 2019, from the record of MHIP General Assembly minute book from 2009-2015. My observation is that the MHIP's efforts to improve the status of women without challenging the gendered division of labour and access to resources is unlikely to lead to empowerment for women
The British philanthropist Robert Arthington (1823-64) left a fortune that funded the evangelical... more The British philanthropist Robert Arthington (1823-64) left a fortune that funded the evangelical work of the Baptist Missionary Society and the London Missionary Society. It was Arthington’s bequest that led to missionary work among the Mizo people in 1901. During the British colonial period, which ended in 1947, Welsh Christian and Baptist missionaries evangelized among the Mizo people. Today almost 90 percent of Mizos belong to the Presbyterian Church, the Baptist church, or to one of the many indigenous Christian churches. It is impossible to comment on the contemporary position of Mizoram Presbyterian Church women without first reflecting on their indigenous activities and status. Past representations of Bible women and the challenges they encountered for the mission work under the strict rules of chieftains paint them as nothing more than the appendages of men. These representations, I believe, are distortions of their actual roles and positions. This case study challenges the notion that the key to empowerment is women’s economic status. In this case, patriarchies– Western patriarchy combined with indigenous Mizo patriarchy – collaborated in according women a secondary status in the new religion
The Mizoram Accord of 1986 carried the promise that 'the rights and privileges of the minorities ... more The Mizoram Accord of 1986 carried the promise that 'the rights and privileges of the minorities in Mizoram as envisaged in the Constitution shall continue to be preserved and protected, and their social and economic advancement shall be ensured'. These observations, reflecting the signing of the "Mizoram Accord" or "Memorandum of Settlement" between the Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Government of India on 30 June 1986 were expected to set in motion an inclusive process of socioeconomic development for all, including women after years of insurgency. This paper focuses on women who experienced the Mizo insurgency from 1966 to 1986, and addresses specific and largely unexamined aspects of the suffering experienced by them under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958. The story of the insurgency in Mizoram is not well known, the story of how women were affected is largely absent from history. Utilizing women's oral testimonies, the paper investigates the impact of insurgency on women and the extent to which the Accord's promises have affected their lives and livelihood.
Using the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl [MHIP] or Mizo Women's Organization as a case study, thi... more Using the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl [MHIP] or Mizo Women's Organization as a case study, this paper explores whether women's participation in informal politics leads to women's empowerment. Since the birth of the MHIP in 1972, the organization adopted various strategies, to try to improve the status for women in society. The MHIP has also tried to modify different Mizo Customary laws that disadvantage women in marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Beginning in 1980, they submitted several recommendations to the government. Focusing on the economic, social, and political development of women, the MHIP declared each year as 'Women's year' for the last 12 years (1997-2011). Although the MHIP has addressed the social and economic status of women, worked to improve women's status in the public sphere, and sought changes in Mizo Customary law, they have not challenged basic definitions of women's roles and the gendered division of work attached to these roles. This article adopts qualitative approach to understand the various strategies adopted by MHIP to improve women's status, it attempts to explore the issues MHIP addressed as well as their conception of women's essential nature and proper role in society. Data were collected over a period of six month during January 2019 to June 2019, from the record of MHIP General Assembly minute book from 2009-2015. My observation is that the MHIP's efforts to improve the status of women without challenging the gendered division of labour and access to resources is unlikely to lead to empowerment for women
The British philanthropist Robert Arthington (1823-64) left a fortune that funded the evangelical... more The British philanthropist Robert Arthington (1823-64) left a fortune that funded the evangelical work of the Baptist Missionary Society and the London Missionary Society. It was Arthington’s bequest that led to missionary work among the Mizo people in 1901. During the British colonial period, which ended in 1947, Welsh Christian and Baptist missionaries evangelized among the Mizo people. Today almost 90 percent of Mizos belong to the Presbyterian Church, the Baptist church, or to one of the many indigenous Christian churches. It is impossible to comment on the contemporary position of Mizoram Presbyterian Church women without first reflecting on their indigenous activities and status. Past representations of Bible women and the challenges they encountered for the mission work under the strict rules of chieftains paint them as nothing more than the appendages of men. These representations, I believe, are distortions of their actual roles and positions. This case study challenges the notion that the key to empowerment is women’s economic status. In this case, patriarchies– Western patriarchy combined with indigenous Mizo patriarchy – collaborated in according women a secondary status in the new religion
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