Disquieting Edges: Gender and Intersectionality in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Borderlands

This book explores the intersections of gender, religion, ethnicity, and class in the fragile borderlands of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh against the backdrop of the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. It contributes to existing research in the fields of gender, intersectionality, borderland studies, and peacebuilding by focusing on women - an extremely vulnerable group - particularly during situations of conflict. Drawing on primary and secondary resources, this study is largely based on field research - including during the launch of Operation Sindoor and post-Galwan militarisation of Eastern Ladakh's border villages - in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.The book takes an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating the voices of women from Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. Through narrative inquiry, it features in-depth personal interviews and case stories, providing a well-rounded gendered perspective of the region.This book will be useful to the scholars, students, and teachers of political science, sociology, anthropology, economics, and development studies. It will also be an indispensable resource for scholars of peace and conflict studies as well as practitioners of peacebuilding. In addition, it would be of interest to general readers following the developments in the erstwhile state post-abrogation.

About the Author

Meha Dixit is an independent author who holds a PhD in international politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She has worked with Amnesty International and Save the Children and taught at the University of Kashmir. Her book, Piece of War: Narratives of Resilience and Hope (SAGE 2020), is the culmination of over a decade of field research in conflict and "post-conflict" zones, including South Asia, the Middle East, and West Africa. Her forthcoming co-edited volume, Territory and Turmoil: Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan , is set for publication by Routledge. She has conducted extensive field research on internal and cross-border trafficking and contributed to the development of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the India-Nepal and India-Bangladesh borders with the Justice and Care team.