Women In Kashmir Research Articles

Antecedents of Life Satisfaction Among Women in Kashmir: An Empirical Study From India

Psychologists believe that life satisfaction is a crucial indicator of an individual's overall health and happiness, regardless of their work or culture. This topic has been extensively researched, with the authors identifying novel antecedents of life happiness. Life satisfaction and health are strongly related, and enhancing one area can improve the other. Frequent shifts in life satisfaction can be harmful to overall health and life expectancy. However, there is still potential to investigate life satisfaction from a fresh perspective, particularly in the Indian context. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing people's levels of pleasure in life, focusing on three categories of women in the Kashmir region: single women, married women, and widowed women. The study used a quantitative research design, including all three types of women: married, unmarried, and widowed. The research objectives were to study optimism, spirituality, resilience, and social support as predictors of life satisfaction among unmarried, married, and widowed women in Kashmir. The findings showed that optimism, spirituality, resilience, and perceived social support all have a beneficial impact on one's level of life satisfaction. Self-confidence under pressure has the biggest impact on life satisfaction, while optimism has the lowest effect amongst all variables.

A Study of Psychological Distress Among Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Kashmir

Background: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, was previously thought to be an endocrine condition. Research has now demonstrated that polycystic ovarian syndrome affects a patient's quality of life and is a metabolic, hormonal and psychosocial condition. Women's joys are disrupted by PCOS because the stigma attached to hyperandrogenism is strongly felt and may harm women's psychological development. Methods: The aim of the study was to comprehend the psychosocial problems experienced by women in Kashmir and to obtain a thorough understanding of the coping mechanisms employed by women with PCOS. The research design was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. Thematic analysis was used to derive themes from the data. Sampling was purposeful in nature. Results: The study underscores that women with PCOS encounter numerous difficulties encompassing social and psychological aspects. Psychological issues like mood swings, stress, anxiety and sleeping disorders are prevalent among women with PCOS. Furthermore, the research has revealed that menstrual disorders significantly contribute to depression in women. The study also highlights a connection between infertility and psychological problems. Conclusion: In conclusion, the research underscores the multifaceted challenges faced by individuals with PCOS. Therefore, understanding these issues is crucial for developing effective coping mechanisms and improving the quality of life for women dealing with PCOS.

Menstrual Health in the Digital Age: A Qualitative Study of Motivations for Using Period-Tracking Apps by Women in Kashmir

Health and well-being mobile applications, or mHealth apps, have gained popularity with the spread of smartphones and high-speed mobile internet in India. These apps are used for self-monitoring of health attributes, including tracking of fitness metrics, diet, sleep patterns, heart rate, and so on. Among these apps, period-tracking or menstrual-tracking apps have gained prominence for monitoring reproductive health. This paper explores the usage and experience of these period-tracking apps, such as Flo and Maya. It seeks to understand the motives for use of these apps and presents women’s perspectives on the role of such apps in their everyday lives. The study was conducted using qualitative face-to-face and telephone interviews with 30 women in the Kashmir region in India. The study observed that women linked the use of these apps to various motives: tracking menstruation, monitoring premenstrual syndrome, and detecting polycystic ovary syndrome. In using these apps, women became involved in digital practices that offered them a space to engage with the taboo topic of menstruation. They were able to effectively schedule their tasks according to their menstrual cycles, gaining an understanding of various symptoms and the option for further consultation with medical professionals. Understanding women’s goals and experiences with these apps, particularly in societies where menstruation is stigmatized, will aid in designing interventions and support systems to improve their menstrual health and overall well-being.

The Narrative of Oppression and Struggle Among the Women of Kashmir: A Subaltern Study of Behold, I Shine by Freny Manecksha

Kashmiri literature highlights the major themes of oppression and the continuous struggle by Kashmiris in their cause for independence. Millions of Kashmiris have suffered from human rights violations by Indian troops. Among them, the most disturbed are women and children. This paper focuses on the narratives of Kashmiri women and how they spend their lives in Indian-occupied Kashmir while highlighting the theoretical underpinning of female subalterns. In which women are suppressed, oppressed, and kept voiceless among their people. In Kashmir, women have been raped, assaulted, and marginalized by Indian troops and to lower their voices they are given the amount of ex gratia which acts as a bandage to heal the wounds. The paper will explore how Indian troops have colonized the land how they have been treating women in Kashmir, and what role women play in their call for azadi.

Kashmiri women in conflict: a feminist perspective

Kashmiri women are diverse individuals with a wide range of origins, histories, experiences, and aspirations. Women in Kashmir are deeply entwined with the region’s complicated socio-political landscape, especially in terms of the protracted conflict in Kashmir. The living patterns of women in Kashmir are severely influenced by insurgency, militancy, and the consequent militarization of the region, as well as a wide range of socio-economic, historical, religious, and geopolitical circumstances. Kashmiri women’s day-to-day existence, safety, security, and mobility are strongly impacted by enhanced security protocols and the existence of armed personnel and militants in the region. Even though a great number of research works have been performed on Kashmir’s politics, history, philosophy, and religion, the struggles and challenges faced by women amid the conflict need to be further explored. This research aimed to comprehend and unveil the situation of Kashmiri women in the conflict zone through a comprehensive review of the existing literature on gendered violations in Kashmir, thereby emphasizing the need for the recognition of the suffering of Kashmiri women from a feminist perspective. Furthermore, the contributions of Kashmiri women activists, politicians, and feminists were highlighted, thus accentuating their role towards gender equality and sustainable peace in the region.

Critical Analysis of Women in Kashmir Under Dogra Rule

This article is an attempt to analyse the status of women in the Dogra regime in the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. It seeks to examine the situation of Kashmiri women and the frustration and abuse they experienced under the Dogra regime. Similarly this paper focuses around social evils such as trafficking in women, female feticide and prostitution and also in the fight against opportunities to eradicate the dictatorial, dynastic, primitive and strict doctrines of the Middle Ages. Examines their role. Women occupy an important place in shaping the history of mankind. The tools or status added or given to women frame a flat piece to determine the net progress of the general population. Although they have been singled out / underestimated in all fields such as politics, society, education since ancient times, women have been the basis and important part of any ordinary people on earth. There is also a certainty under Jammu and Kashmir that Dogra’s cynical and barbaric rule of popular times. In addition, the rule affected the entire population of the state, both men and women.

REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN STONE SCULPTURAL ART AND ICONOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT KASHMIR

Throughout its history Kashmir has experienced an art life very much its own as well as accepting and absorbing influences and imported from neighbouring areas. The sculptural masterpieces that have survived in the valley have attracted the attention of art-historians and the scholars in the allied disciplines from time to time and have always been praised for their fine workmanship and iconographic features. Sculptors have not created the images only for the religious purpose but in the images are added subtle human moods and sentiments and have captured various states of emotions and feelings. Artists have captured the rhythm of life of all living beings in general and represented women in particular on the surfaces of the temples and in images. The aesthetic aspect of the sculptural motifs of the temple and images depends upon the religious canons of measurement in art. The carving approach of Kashmir's ancient and early medieval temples Goetz (1951) and Goetz (1969) includes a significant number of female images. Women from various cultures are portrayed in sculptures. Women can be seen here in a variety of subjects. The sculptures show representations of many feminine beauty ideals. This essay aims to shed light on the representation of women in Kashmir's early sculpting and iconographic traditions.

ELDERLY WOMEN`S EXPERIENCES OF HEALTH PROBLEMS IN KASHMIR: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF DISTRICT ANANTNAG

Ageing is an irrevocable biological process and is defined as the survival of the increasing number of individuals, who have completed their adult roles. Ageing is stated as the inevitable consequence of decline in productiveness. Globally, number of old age population is increasing with advancement of biomedical technology. Ageing is population is a multifaceted process involving biological, psychological and socio-cultural changes which affects the elderly with different health related problems. The focus of the present study is to explore the effects of aging and Health-related problems experienced by elderly women in Kashmir. The present study is qualitative and explanatory in nature. The data were collected from 30 elderly women living in the district Anantnag of Jammu and Kashmir. In this study, snowball sampling is used to rectify the elderly women from different settings. The findings revealed that the major health problems (Diabetes, hypertension, cardiac illness) and psychological problems (loneliness, elderly abuse, depression, and negligence) were faced by elderly people in Kashmir. KEY WORDS: Elderly women, Health problems, Experiences, Phenomenology, Kashmir

Queen Yasovati: A Descriptive Study on her Leadership in the Kingdom of Kashmir

The contribution that Queen Yasovati made to the establishment of women's rule in Kashmir is the subject of this study. In Kashmir, women have traditionally enjoyed a standing that is more equal to that of men than in other parts of the world; as a result, four of them have risen to prominence as notable rulers. In Kalhana's Rajatarngini, three wellknown female rulers are discussed: “Yasovati of the Gonda dynasty, Sugandha (904-906 AD) of the Utpala dynasty, and Didda (980-1003 AD) of the Lohara dynasty.” Yasovati belonged to the Gonda dynasty, while Sugandha and Didda both ruled over the Utpala Kota Rani was the fourth queen to rule Kashmir, and she was also the last queen to do so. But the first queen monarch of Kashmir, Yasovati, who formalised the rule of women in Kashmir and built the framework for it, has been forgotten by historians throughout history. This queen deserves to be remembered since she played an important and active role in the history of Kashmir; however, her accomplishments as a woman in a position of power were not given any consideration at the time.

DISPOSITIONAL AUTONOMY AND SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING AMONG WOMEN IN A COLLECTIVISTIC CULTURE

Autonomy has been conceived as a masculine trait in literature. However, feminist literature and SDT theorists consider autonomy as a requisite need for all irrespective of gender, class and culture. The Self-Determination Theory perspective posits autonomy as a basic psychological need and an essential nutriment for well-being. The aim of the present paper was to study the effects of dispositional autonomy on subjective wellbeing among women in Kashmir. The aim was to see the existence of this attribute among women being in collectivistic culture. The relationship of the dimensions of dispositional autonomy i.e., authorship/self-congruence, susceptibility to control and interest-taking with subjective wellbeing was examined and their effects on subjective wellbeing was studied. The 15-item, 5-point Likert Scale namely Index of Autonomous Functioning (IAF) (Weinstein et al., 2012b) was used to assess dispositional autonomy. The 14-item, 5-point Likert Scale namely, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) (S Stewart-Brown & Janmohamed, 2008) was used to assess subjective wellbeing. The study was conducted on a sample of 183 Kashmiri women. The correlation and regression analysis was done to study the relationship and effects of dispositional autonomy on subjective wellbeing among women in collectivistic culture. The results showed a significant positive effect of dispositional autonomy on subjective wellbeing of women. The study has contributed in the existing body of knowledge by highlighting the importance of autonomy as a basic psychological need in the wellbeing of women.

Impact of protracted conflict on women in Kashmir: tracking multidimensional exclusions within social and political institutions

ABSTRACT Diminishing accountability of state institutions in Kashmir and the expectation from women to adhere to strict socio-cultural norms are subtly imposing multidimensional social exclusion on them. It limits women's mobility and choices. Security, political and institutional compulsions of conflict zones further heighten the impediments to women's lives. Civil societies in many conflict zones have demanded that violence against women and discriminatory cultural practices and stereotypes be addressed by holding state and non-state actors accountable for structural inequalities which further marginalize women. Certain dimensions of social exclusion faced by women, specifically engendered due to conflict situations, become invisible and unnoticeable by getting eclipsed by the meta-narrative of the political discourses of conflict, creating the binary of the state and the combatant. Seeing women as separate entities gives deeper insights into the graded vulnerabilities of a conflict zone. This paper attempts to see how women's agency in everyday life is affected by a persistent state of turmoil. Besides, it also looks at the structural fault lines in state institutions in addressing women's issues in the aforementioned regard.

Queen Yasovati: A Descriptive Study on her Leadership in the Kingdom of Kashmir

The contribution that Queen Yasovati made to the establishment of women's rule in Kashmir is the subject of this study. In Kashmir, women have traditionally enjoyed a standing that is more equal to that of men than in other parts of the world; as a result, four of them have risen to prominence as notable rulers. In Kalhana's Rajatarngini, three wellknown female rulers are discussed: “Yasovati of the Gonda dynasty, Sugandha (904-906 AD) of the Utpala dynasty, and Didda (980-1003 AD) of the Lohara dynasty.” Yasovati belonged to the Gonda dynasty, while Sugandha and Didda both ruled over the Utpala Kota Rani was the fourth queen to rule Kashmir, and she was also the last queen to do so. But the first queen monarch of Kashmir, Yasovati, who formalised the rule of women in Kashmir and built the framework for it, has been forgotten by historians throughout history. This queen deserves to be remembered since she played an important and active role in the history of Kashmir; however, her accomplishments as a woman in a position of power were not given any consideration at the time.

Women in low intensity political conflict (through the lives of Kashmiri women)

The analysis of gender in conflict and fragile situations is an emerging area of research. Little to no attention has been paid to it up until very recently. There is scant scholarly work available that directly addresses this issue, and there is no research on the relationship between gender and low intensity conflict in Kashmir. It is in this light that the current research note has been written. It traces the broad impact that conflict has had on the lives of women living in the Kashmir region, the conflict centric part of Jammu and Kashmir. Through this research note it is established that the women in Kashmir have been exposed to the shock of unpredicted fragility, and the study is further endorsed by some instantial ethnographic case studies. These shocks have impacted them economically, psychologically and socially. Generations of women have been suffering from the negative impact of the conflict. Alhough disastrous for the most part, women have gradually developed some resilience. With time more and more Kashmiri women have been striving towards gaining economic independence by learning skills, by the acquisition of education and by being gainfully employed.

Assess the level of stress and coping level among married working women in Kashmir

Aim of this study was: 1. To assess the level of stress among Married Working Women as measured by Perceived stress scale 2. To determine the Level of coping among Married Working Women as assessed by Stress Coping Resources Inventory. 3. To find out the association between the level of stress and Level of Coping among Married Working Women with their selected demographic variables. 93 married working women, randomly selected were assessed by Standardized tool (Perceived Stress Scale and Stress Coping Resources Inventory) and demographic Variables. Online Survey method was adopted in order to collect data for a period of three months from 21 September 2021 to 21 December 2021.: Findings revealed that 72% of married working women had High Stress Level, 22% had Moderate Stress Level and only 6% had Low Stress Level. However, maximum (58%) married working women had above average Coping Level, 41% had average Coping Level, 1% had below average Coping Level and none had High Coping Level. Data analysis was performed using SV26|IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Chi- Square test & Unpaired t-Test was used to find out association of Level of stress and Level of Coping with selected demographic variables.Stress Level among working women is significantly high and there is significant association between Level of stress & Level of Coping among married working women. The results of the study proclaimed association was found between Age and Level of Coping among married working women. Whereas no association was found between other demographic variables and coping among married working women. After study, we conducted that Maximum of working women have High stress level and no one had high Coping level.

Women Negotiating Public Sphere in Conflict-Ridden Kashmir: A Case of Sacred-Sites

This article examines the intersectionality of patriarchy, religion, and conflict by evaluating the nature of space offered by shrines to women in Kashmir. Besides fostering spirituality, the shrines of Sufi mystics serve as an essential public sphere in Kashmir. Due to the protracted armed conflict and limited spatial availability, shrines have emerged as the predominant sites for political mobilization, socialization, and religious pedology. Therefore, an assessment of gender politics at shrines by employing a public sphere framework allows a re-conceptualization of the idea of women’s engagement in politics and issues of agency. It further illuminates the nuanced role of religion in conflict and its gender ramifications.

Socio Economic Status of Tribal Women in Kashmir

Socio-Economic Status (SES) is an obscure perception of two diverse phases, the sociological phase and the economic phase. The sociological phase includes class or place surrounded by a communal stratification and the financial phase includes assets such as, livelihood, earnings as well as possessions. Tribal women contain multidimensional roles and household tasks in their families but she is still lagging behind. The present study was carried out in Kashmir valley to analyze the Socio Economic Status of tribal women in respective to their categories, educational status and marital status. Out of 2, 19,774 tribal women in Kashmir valley, 1031 tribal women were taken by applying proportionate stratified random sampling technique. To collect information, a standardized scale “Socio Economic Scale” constructed by Kalia and Sahu was administered during the data collection. The results of the present study reveal that tribal women in Kashmir have low socio cultural, economic, health and educational status.

Through Their Eyes: Women and Human Security in Kashmir

‘Women’s responsibilities call upon them to function in many spheres of human experience … (and so) their perspective on human security is comprehensive, including factors overlooked by the state security paradigm’ (Reardon, 2010a, The gender imperative: Human security vs state security, Routledge, p. 16). Recognising this, the following research article records threats to human security in Kashmir as seen from the point of view of a representative cross-section of Kashmiri women. It argues that in the context of the Kashmir valley, no discussion of security is complete without broadening the perspective from state security to human security. Again, no analysis of human security in Kashmir is complete without taking into account Kashmiri women’s experience of human security threats. The lived experiences of women in Kashmir and their perspectives should be at the heart of any human security analysis. This article aims at recording these threats faced by Kashmiri women in their daily lives, using a case study model. It records the lived experiences of 20 women from different ethnicities, religions, regions and locations within the valley. In doing so, it acknowledges not only the constraints of the case study model but also the centrality of women’s rights to identify and confront the threats to their conceptions and experiences of security. It limits itself to the Kashmir valley where the worst of the violence has occurred since 1989. Twenty women from seven districts—Srinagar, Pulwama, Budgam, Kulgam, Anantnag, Baramulla and Kupwara—have been interviewed over a 6-month period. In order to understand diverse conceptions and experiences of threats to human security, care was taken to include women from diverse ethnic and religious communities. The study covers Sikh, Sunni and Shia Muslim, Gujjar, Pahari and Kashmiri Pandit women.

Examining Women Discrimination: By Women in Kashmir

Women constitute 3.82 billion in the world (According to the UN Population Division). Women being a constant contributory to the economic factor are still considered to be anonymous to the world. Women play a significant role in our lives, from being daughter to a mother. Women help to shape the lives of people in an enormous number of ways. Kashmiri women have been prone to many changes throughout their lives. It leaves a great impact on the Kashmiri Society. Women have been discriminated by the same sex since ages but no concern has been raised for the issue till now. It needs to be controlled and curtailed so that it won’t affect the growth of women in our societies. The objective behind the paper is to aware the people of the discrimination happening in our surroundings and to reach to the point where people will be able to raise a voice against it especially women of our society that are being victimized throughout their lives. This paper mainly lays stress on the discrimination against women by women in Kashmir. The paper starts with the introduction to the concept to discrimination with respect to women and includes the instances that are based on research work in Kashmir. The study has been carried out in different regions of Kashmir. In this study, survey method has been used for the collection of the data. The result of the research is not satisfying but enriched with the instances of discrimination. In conclusion, many factors were responsible for the growth of such behavior in our society.

Factors associated with breast cancer awareness and breast self-examination in Fiji and Kashmir India \u2013 a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIn low-income countries breast cancer awareness (BCA) is essential to reduce the proportion of advanced stage presentations of breast cancer. There is a lack of studies using multivariable techniques to explore factors related to BCA in low-income countries. The objective of this study was to identify to what extent women in Fiji and Kashmir, India have BCA and practice breast self-examination (BSE) as well as factors associated with BCA and BSE.MethodsA survey of women aged ≥18 years was conducted in Fiji and Kashmir, India to assess BCA and rates of BSE. Comparison between Fiji and Kashmir was done using student’s t-test for continuous data and chi-square for binary data. Factors associated with BCA and BSE were analysed using a multivariable logistic regression for Fiji and Kashmir separately.ResultsData were collected from 399 and 1982 women in Kashmir and Fiji, respectively. Of 1968 women in Fiji 57% were deemed to have an acceptable BCA compared to only 7.3% of 395 women in Kashmir. Having some education was associated with having BCA with an odds ratio of 4.7 (1.7–13) in Fiji and 10 (1.7–59) in Kashmir. Of 1976 women in Fiji 40% had tertiary education while 40% of 392 women in Kashmir had no education at all. The marital status was similar in both samples (n = 1973 and 395) with 68–69% being married and 21–26% being single. The lack of female doctors or nurses with whom to discuss issues, was perceived as a problem in both countries.ConclusionsThe key finding is an association between having any level of education and BCA. This correlation was much stronger than for a family history of breast cancer and BCA. Hence, general education to illiterate women may reduce the proportion of women in low-income countries presenting with advanced-stage breast cancer.

Lived experiences of divorced women in Kashmir: a phenomenological study

ABSTRACT Using a phenomenological approach, the present study aimed to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of divorced women in Kashmir. 20 divorced women were recruited through a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview schedule. Using Colaizzi’s techniques of data analysis, two themes emerged from the data: the reasons for divorce and the challenges faced after divorce. The results of the study uncovered that violence/family interference, infidelity/second marriage of spouses were the dominant reasons for the dissolution of marriage, followed by childlessness, and incompatibility. Additionally, divorce brought about numerous social, economic, cultural, and psychological challenges. To tackle the challenges and traumas, divorced women showed a greater sense of resilience during the post-divorce period utilizing different strategies.