Women in tribal societies: a historical perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64171/JSRD.2.1.41-45Keywords:
tribal women, indigenous societies, gender relations, colonialism, matriliny, patriarchy, tribal history, women's empowerment, indigenous culture, anthropologyAbstract
Women in tribal societies have maintained their position on the landscape that is unique and complex. Unlike in other patriarchal societies at large, many tribal communities throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Indigenous North America historically offered women a relatively higher level of economic participation, social mobility, and cultural autonomy. Tribal women have never, however, formed a homogeneous category. Their status varied according to ecological conditions, kinship structures, religious convictions, the actions of colonial empires and current state policies. This work is about the historical position of women in both ancient and modern tribal societies. It considers women in family organization, economy, religion and politics, alongside political heritage which might also involve culture and it also explores the impact of colonialism, industrialization, globalization and today's development policies on tribal women. Special focus is on Indian tribal societies Gond, Santhal, Khasi, Bhil, Toda, and Naga communities. We argue that even though women in tribal societies often enjoyed more autonomy than women in caste-based societies, they did not escape gender inequality completely. These societies were characterized by historical changes in history which included colonial land arrangements, missionary activities, capitalist expansion and state intervention. Gender relations in tribal communities evolved dramatically during modern times, and were profoundly affected by land policies, missionary work, capitalist expansion and the government’s intervention. The study adds to the evidence that tribal women are resilient to loss of traditional knowledge, natural culture, and community unity. Using historical and anthropological paradigms, the paper focuses on the requirement of gender sensitive, culturally relevant tribal development and women’s empowerment.
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