Description
This article investigates the critical intersection of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda with environmental concerns in Central India, focusing on the experiences of indigenous women in states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha. Against the backdrop of limited academic and policy attention, this research scrutinizes the complexities arising from the confluence of patriarchal societal norms, state-sponsored environmental exploitation, and the resultant impact on women’s security.
In India, despite accolades for contributions to UN peacekeeping missions, the absence of a National Action Plan (NAP) for WPS and a failure to integrate WPS goals into national policies underscore a crucial gap. The study sheds light on how governmental categorization of conflict areas as 'disturbed' amplifies challenges faced by women and sidelines mainstream women's groups from engagement in conflict zones. Facing arrests, assaults, and prolonged detentions, women in these conflict-affected regions confront disproportionate hardships.
Moreover, the article delineates the intricacies of women-led resistance against environmental degradation, particularly in the context of the contentious mining activities in Chhattisgarh. The adverse impacts of mining, such as displacement, unemployment, and health concerns, disproportionately affect indigenous women, further exacerbated by state-sponsored coercion and violence.
The article underscores India's conflicting climate commitments and coal-centric policies, resulting in suppression of dissent and repression against Adivasi activists.
