Unravelling gendered power structures: exploring the agency of young women in a pashmina weaving family in Militarised Kashmir

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the intricate dynamics of gendered power structures within the context of a Pashmina weaving family in the militarised region of Kashmir. In particular, the focus is on unravelling the agency of two young women who navigate and negotiate their roles within these structures. Historically men have been at the forefront of weaving pashmina shawls in Kashmir. In most traditional pashmina weaving families, women perform the painstaking work of preparing the raw material – from cleaning the goat hair to hand spinning the wool before men take over the weaving. They do not often get paid for their hard work since their labour is seen as a part of their family duty, creating a framework of inequality for women. Using phenomenology of lived experience, agency theory and intersectionality framework, this paper seeks to understand how socio-political factors, such as militarisation, intersect with traditional gender norms to shape the experiences and agency of young women engaged in Pashmina weaving.