Education and Beyond: Analysing the Struggles of 21st Century Women in a Central University

Abstract

Culture plays a critical role in determining gender roles in said space, and Aligarh Muslim University happens to be an educational institution with a history dating back to the colonial period. Drawing its cultural roots from India's pre-independence Islamic traditions, the University upholds certain beliefs regarding women, which happen to exist in the present times with slight modifications. This paper studies the various social, political, religious, and cultural forces existing in the University that impact the space of female students residing in the campus premises in the twenty-first century. The research is supported by a qualitative and quantitative survey of AMU students and interviews of political leaders. It also uses references from secondary data sources. Struggles faced by women of AMU as a consequence of the division of space is exemplified by unequal distribution of power and access, problems of representation in political leadership, and geographic isolation in the paper, thereby taking the lived experiences of these women beyond education.