The study explores the evolution of women’s rights in Kashmir from India’s independence in 1947 to the post-abrogation period following the revocation of Article 370 in 2019. Drawing on Feminist Legal Theory, Conflict Theory, Postcolonial Feminism, and Islamic Feminism, the research explores how legal, political, and social developments have shaped the status of Kashmiri women over time. Special focus is given to Article 35A’s implications on property rights and residency, and how insurgency, militarization, and conflict since 1989 have exacerbated gender-based violence, displacement, and systemic marginalization. Using a qualitative methodology based on secondary sources, the paper highlights both the gains and ongoing limitations in women’s legal and socio-economic empowerment, especially in light of the contested benefits brought by the extension of Indian central laws post-2019. The study reveals the dual role of women as both victims and agents of change, examining grassroots activism and policy advocacy. It contributes to the broader discourse on gender rights in conflict zones by illustrating how legal reform, cultural shifts, and political stability must converge to ensure sustainable gender justice in Kashmir’s unique socio-political landscape.
1. Ahmad, A. (2024). Gender, Militarism, and Resistance: An Analysis of Afghan and Kashmiri Women’s Struggles. Journal of Peace and Diplomacy, 5(2), 18-40.2. Ahmad, Z. (2017) Issues And Challenges Of Women Empowerment In Kashmir: A Study. Advances In Management, Social Sciences And Technology, 79.3. Ahmed, N., & Ahmad, N. (2005, January). Muslim Female Education: Role Of Sheikh Abdullah Vis-À-Vis The Aligarh Movement-(1906-1942). In Proceedings of the Indian History Congress (Vol. 66, pp. 1228-1240). Indian History Congress.4. Ayub, S. J., & Raina, A. R. (2018). Status of woman in ancient India: A comparative study of North Indian society and Kashmir. Journal of South Asian Studies, 6(3), 159-164.5. Bhat, A. N. (2023). Journey of Kashmiri Women from Domestic Spheres to Political Arenas-A Case Study of Dogra Regime.6. Bhat, R. M., & Rajeshwari, R. (2022). Social Status of Women in Early Kashmir. Journal homepage: www. ijrpr. com ISSN, 2582(7421), 26-31.7. Burman, A. (2022). Will India's Proposed Data Protection Law Protect Privacy and Promote Growth?. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.8. Chauhan, A. (2022). Gender, Law, and Rights of Permanent Residents in Jammu and Kashmir: From the Lens of Article 370 and Beyond. In Gender, Law and Social Transformation in India (pp. 207-226). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.9. Cockburn, C. (2010). Gender relations as causal in militarization and war: A feminist standpoint. International feminist journal of politics, 12(2), 139-157.10. Cockburn, C. (2013). War and security, women and gender: an overview of the issues. Gender & development, 21(3), 433-452.11. Galtung, J. (1990). International development in human perspective. In Conflict: Human needs theory (pp. 301-335). London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.12. Ganaie, N. A. (2021). Social movements that led to social transformation in Jammu and Kashmir during the British rule. Current Res. J. Soc. Sci. & Human., 4, 164.13. Ganie, M. A. A., & Deivam, M. (2016). The Era Of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah In Jammu And Kashmir Politics. Asia Pacific Journal Of Research Vol: I. Issue Xxxvii.14. Giles, W., & Hyndman, J. (Eds.). (2004). Sites of violence: Gender and conflict zones. Univ of California Press.15. Hasan, F. (2002, January). Towards a Theory of Social Communication in Pre-Colonial India. In Proceedings of the Indian History Congress (Vol. 63, pp. 396-412). Indian History Congress.16. Hassan, K. W. (2009). History Revisited: Narratives on political and constitutional changes in Kashmir (1947-1990). Bangalore: Institute for Social and Economic Change.17. HUSSAIN, A. (2023). Women's Political Participation in Rural India: A Study of Jammu and Kashmir.18. Iqbal, S. (2023). The Other Movement: Women’s Activism in Kashmir. In South Asian Women and International Relations (pp. 245-259). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.19. Iqbal, S., & Magill, S. (2022, April). FEATURE: WOMEN'S RESISTANCE IN KASHMIR Memory as Resistance: Oral Histories from Kashmir. In History Workshop Journal (Vol. 93, No. 1, pp. 245-270). Oxford University Press.20. KAWALE, D. A., & AGRAWAL, M. (2024). Abrogation of Article 370: A Detailed Analysis.21. Kazi, S. (2022). Women, gender politics, and resistance in Kashmir. Socio-Legal Rev., 18, 95.22. Kazi, S. (2023). Conflict in Kashmir and Manipur: history, ethnicity, gender. Journal of aggression, conflict and peace research, 15(1), 39-50.23. Khan, N. A. (2007). The land of Lalla-Ded: Politicization of Kashmir and construction of the Kashmiri woman. Journal of International Women's Studies, 9(1), 22-41.24. Kuszewska, A. (2022). Human rights after Article 370 abrogation. In Human Rights Violations in Kashmir (pp. 75-95). Routledge.25. Kynsilehto, A. (2008). Islamic feminism: current perspectives. A. Kynsilehto, 96, 9-13.26. MacKinnon, C. A. (1989). Toward a feminist theory of the state. Harvard University Press.27. McLoughlin, S. (2023). Kashmir Through The Lens of a Feminist Human Security Approach: A Case Study of Half-Widows (Master's thesis).28. Mehrotra, A. (2020). SHIFTING PARADIGMS OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR AN ANALYSIS OF GENDER DYNAMICS POST ARTICLE 370 ABROGATION. Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University, 55(2).29. Menon, A. V., & Azher, M. M. (2024). Safeguarding the Vulnerable: Strengthening Legal Frameworks to Mitigate the Menace of Child Pornography in India. Issue 1 Int'l JL Mgmt. & Human., 7, 417.30. Mohanty, C. (1988). Under Western eyes: Feminist scholarship and colonial discourses. Feminist review, 30(1), 61-88.31. Mohiuddin, L. (1997). Human rights violations: a case study of Kashmir. Pakistan Horizon, 50(2), 75-97.32. Mukund, K. (2025). The Role of Law in Empowering Women in India. Naveen International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences (NIJMS), 1(3), 83-95.33. Noor, A. I. M. (2020). THE TRANSITION OF MALAY WOMEN'S ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY. Journal of Al-Tamaddun, (1).34. Penrose, W. (2006). Colliding cultures: Masculinity and homoeroticism in Mughal and early colonial South Asia. In Queer Masculinities, 1550–1800: Siting Same-Sex Desire in the Early Modern World (pp. 144-165). London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.35. Rai, Mridu. 2004. Hindu Rulers, Muslim Subjects: Islam, Rights, and the History of Kashmir. Princeton: Princeton University Press.36. Shafi, A. (2002). Working women in Kashmir: Problems and prospects. APH Publishing.37. Shah, M. A., Lodi, A. K., & Bhat, S. A. (2024). Development Of Higher Education In Jammu And Kashmir: A Critical Review. Acta Scientiae, 7(2), 500-512.38. Singh, K. S. (2001). Gender roles in history: Women as hunters. Gender, Technology and Development, 5(1), 113-124.39. Sjoberg, L. (2014). Gender, war, and conflict. John Wiley & Sons.40. Snedden, C. (2021). Sheikh Abdullah’s pursuit of independence for ‘Kashmir’, post-1953. In Independent Kashmir (pp. 230-265). Manchester University Press.41. Swadimath, U., Acharya, S., Sharma, G., & Joshi, P. B. ( 2024) An Impact Of Abrogation Of Article 370 In Jammu And Kashmir On Women Empowerment: A Study.42. TABASUM, M. S. (2014). A Sociological Study of Gender Inequality with Special Reference to Kashmiri Women (Doctoral dissertation, BHARATI VIDYAPEETH).43. Vaid, S., & Sharma, N. (2005). Political rights for women: special reference of Jammu and Kashmir state. Journal of Social Sciences, 11(3), 233-237.44. Wani, M. A., Wani, D. M., & Mayer, I. A. (2022). Geographical distribution of violence against women in Jammu & Kashmir, India. GeoJournal, 87(5), 3555-3574.45. Zargar, Haris. 2016. “Why Violence in Kashmir Is Getting Worse.” The Diplomat, April27. https:// thediplomat.com/2016/04/why-violence-in-kashmir-is-getting-worse/.46. Zeeshan, S., & Aliefendioğlu, H. (2024). Kashmiri women in conflict: a feminist perspective. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1-19.47. Zia Athur, 2020. Resisting Disappearance: Military Occupation and Women’s Activism in Kashmir. Seattle: University of Washington Press.48. Zutshi, Chitralekha. 2014. Kashmir’s Contested Pasts: Narratives, Sacred Geographies, and the Historical Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
