Paper Details

Name: Rohit Kumar & Het Ram Thakur
Country: India

Year: 2025
Volume: Volume No: 12, Issue No: 2, Year: 2025
Page Number: 168-174
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20605891

ABSTRACTThis research paper explores the transitional socio-political role of Gaddi tribal women in
Himachal Pradesh, focusing on how modernization, education, and state-driven development
are reshaping their traditional identities. Historically, Gaddi women were central to pastoral
and domestic economies, managing livestock, household production and ritual life while
sustaining cultural traditions through oral and performative art forms. In recent decades,
processes such as modernization, improved literacy and reservation in local governance have
opened new spaces for their participation in social, economic and political life. This paper
argues that Gaddi women are not passive victims of these changes but are active, strategic
agents weaving a new identity. The paper analyzes how these women negotiate between
continuity and change maintaining cultural practices while engaging with education, self-help
groups, and panchayat institutions. It also highlights the dual pressures they face increased
workloads and persistent patriarchal barriers that limit autonomy despite new opportunities.
By synthesizing contemporary studies, this paper highlights that how Gaddi tribal women are
weaving together the threads of tradition and transformation to redefine their socio-political
role within their culture.
Keywords- Gaddi Tribe, Socio-Political Transition, Tribal Women, Women Empowerment,
Social Change, Modernization, Education & Generational Change, Political Participation,
Family & Community Norms etc.