Women and Gender Studies 3 Lectures for Higher Education by Dr Poulami Aich Mukherjee

1. WOMEN & GENDER STUDIES
Lecture 1
Understanding Women and Gender Studies
Dr Poulami Aich Mukherjee
mepoulami@gmail.com

2. Introduction
• Why Women’s and Gender Studies
• History of Movements
• Women and/in Movements
• Queer Liberation & Queer Theory
• Feminist Critiques of Knowledge

3. Why Women’s & Gender Studies?
• Definition of Women’s Studies
• Definition of Gender Studies
• Themes: Race, Class, Caste, Hegemony,
Hierarchy, Patriarchy
• Methodology: interdisciplinary and
multidisciplinary approaches
• International Context
• Indian Context

4. History of Movements
• Woman as question/woman in question:
• The Plural nature of Feminism
• Feminist Movements:
• 14th century (‘modernity’)
• 17th century (‘public/private’)
-Mary Astell
• 18th century (‘equality/liberty/rationality’)
-Hannah More, Mary Wollstonecraft

5. Women and/in Movements
• 19th century Marxist/Socialist movements
-Seneca Falls Convention
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton
-Sylvia Pankhurst
-John Stuart Mill
-Nadezhda Krupskaya
-Alexandra Kollontai
• Suffragette movement-Right to Vote
-Simone de Beauvoir (existentialist feminism)
- Betty Freidan (socialist feminism)
- Kate Millet & Shulamith Firestone (radical feminism)
- Susan Faludi (liberal feminists)
• Postmodern Feminisms-Bell hooks, Judith Squires
-Black feminism
-Dalit feminism
-Ecofeminism
-Cultural feminism

6. Queer Theory
• Spectrum of Sexualities
-Gender & Sexuality
-Homosexuality & Heterosexuality
-Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender
• Sexual Empowerment and Identity Politics

7. Queer Liberation
• Queer Movement
-Western and Indigenous models
- Colonial/Postcolonial approaches
-Section 377, Indian Penal Code
-Urban Queer groups
-Sexual Health and Human Rights

8. Feminist Critiques of Knowledge
• Social Sciences
-Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science & History
• Humanities
-Literature, Philosophy & Ethics, Psychology & Psychoanalysis
• Natural Sciences (rationality, objectivity and reductionism)
-Biology, Medical Science, Physics and Mathematics

9. Conclusion
• Gender and Women’s studies highlights human rights and
dignity for every individual
• Gender & Women’s studies theories traces on particular
contexts, interests and perspectives.
• Gender & Women’s studies questions the prejudiced
traditions social systems and hierarchies
• Gender & Women’s studies theorists engage with language,
culture, civilizations and create new modes of expression,
experiences and realities

10. Thank You

11. WOMEN & GENDER STUDIES
Lecture 2
Feminism & Feminist Movements
Dr Poulami Aich Mukherjee
mepoulami@gmail.com

12. Introduction
• Feminism: Definitions
• Feminist Theories & Types of Feminism
• Waves of Feminist Movements
• Evolution of Feminist Movements in India
• Women’s Studies as an academic discipline

13. Definitions of Feminism
• Liberal Feminism: women's secondary status in society is based on
unequal opportunities and segregation from men
• Marxist Feminism: analyzes the ways women are exploited
through capitalism and the individual ownership of private property
• Socialist Feminism: focuses upon the interconnectivity of the
patriarchy and capitalism for division of labour between men and
women
• Development Feminism: works for achieving transformative
change and sustainable development between men and women
• Radical Feminism: emphasizes the patriarchal roots of inequality
between men and women
• Lesbian Feminism: challenges the perception of heterosexuality
and male supremacy

14. Definitions of Feminism
• Psychoanalytic Feminism: a theory of oppression asserts that
men have an inherent psychological need to subjugate women
• Standpoint Feminism: prioritizes thinking from women's or
marginalized lives
• Multi-ethnic Feminism: promotes integration of feminism with
women across ethnic boundaries
• Men’s Feminism: works collaboratively and internally to advance
feminist ideals
• Social Construction Feminism: focuses on cultural origins,
mechanisms, and corollaries of gender perception
• Postmodern Feminism: analyzes notions leading to gender
inequality in society
• Ecofeminism: bringing together feminism and environmentalism

15. Feminist Theories
Gender Reform Feminisms
• Liberal Feminism
• Marxist Feminism
• Socialist Feminism
• Development Feminism
Gender Resistance Feminisms
• Radical Feminism
• Lesbian Feminism
• Psychoanalytic Feminism
• Standpoint Feminism
Gender Revolution Feminisms
• Multi-ethnic Feminism
• Men’s Feminism
• Social Construction Feminism
• Postmodern Feminism
• Ecofeminism

16. Waves of Feminist Movements
• First Wave (19th-20th century): ‘Vote for Women’
• Second Wave (1960s-1980s): ‘Public /Private domain’
• Third Wave (1990s onwards): ‘Personal is Political’
• Fourth Wave (2010s-present): ‘Transversal Politics’

20. Feminist Movements in India
• Historical Evolution: Ancient/Medieval/Modern
• Social Reform Movement and Women’s Education
• Nationalist Movement and Women’s Organizations
• Rights-Based Civil Society Movement for Equality
• State-Led Movement for Economic Empowerment

21. Women’s Studies in India
• Constitution of India and Protection of Women Rights
• Towards Equality Report 1974
• International Women’s Decade (1975-85)
• International Women’s Year 1975
• International Women’s Day 8 March
• Seminar/Conferences/Symposiums-WIA/AIWC
• Funding Agencies: UN/UGC/ICSSR/ICHR
• National Women’s Rights Commission
• State Women’s Rights Commission
• Women’s Studies Departments/Women Cell/University
• Political Reservations/Empowerment schemes/Entreprenureship

22. Conclusion
Women’s Studies
• promotes dignity of human rights
• focuses on social responsibility and diversity
• creates a link between voices, empowerment and self-esteem
• brings about rapid and far fetched social changes
• conducts intellectual, experiential and personalised learning

23. Thank You

24. WOMEN & GENDER STUDIES
Lecture 3
Gender Studies
Dr Poulami Aich Mukherjee
mepoulami@gmail.com

25. Introduction
• Definitions & Meanings
• Concepts & Theories
• Gender Movements & Article 377

26. Women/Gender Movement: Timeline

27. Concepts: Sex/Gender/Sexuality

28. Construction of Sex/Gender

29. Sex and Gender

31. Gender Identities
• Heterosexual: sexual/ romantic attraction to someone of the opposite sex or
gender
• Homosexual: sexual/ romantic attraction to someone of the same sex or gender
• Bisexual: sexual/romantic attraction to men and women
• Asexual : no sexual/romantic attractions
• Intersex: reproductive anatomy does not fit into the sex binary
• Queer: reject gender and sexual binaries/strange/unusual

32. Concepts: Identity/Expression/ Orientation

33. Concepts: Sexuality/Sexual Orientation

34. Concepts: Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

36. LGBTQIA Movement
• Social Stigma and Ostracization
• Right to live with human dignity
• Right to equality
• Freedom of Religion
• Right to privacy
• Right to educational facilities
• Right to life and personal liberty
• Right to live with family
• Family issues
• Right to profession and business
• Right to livelihood
• Discrimination at workplace
• Equal pay for equal work
• Right to speech and expression
• Issues of Representation

37. Gender Neutral Language

38. Article 377 IPC
• Implemented in the year 1864 at the time of British Colonial Rule
• Section 377 refers to homogenous sex as illegal
• Continued in the constitution till the year 2018
• Section 377 was revoked and the ban was uplifted in 2018
• NGOs/civil society support for gay sex
• Media campaigns/protests/public
demonstration/documentaries/films/literature
• Judgment of five judges/final verdict-decided to lift the ban.
With the ban uplifted, many people came forward with their true identity.

39. Conclusion: Way forward
 Sexual/Gender orientation is an essential attribute of privacy.
Discrimination against an individual on the basis of sexual
orientation is deeply offensive to the dignity and self-worth of
the individual,
 The argument against Section 377 should not only be based on
the right to privacy but also to be premised on the idea of the
right to equality before the law.
 The question of constitutionality of Section 377 is still
pending consideration before a larger Bench, and it should be
heard and decided in the appropriate proceedings.
 However, by making sexual orientation an essential attribute of
right to privacy, the SC has moved a step closer in
decriminalising transgender and homosexual sexual activities.

40. Thank You