ABSTRACT
While 'patriarchy' literally means the 'rule of the father', the concept has been used to analyse norms and practices promoting male domination in structures and institutions in society (Barrett, 1980; Beechey, 1979; Bhasin, 1993; Lerner, 1986; Mies, 1986; Walby, 1990). The existence of caste and religious-based discrimination against women have led some feminists to develop the notion of 'multiple and overlapping patriarchies'. This term was initially used by Kumkum Sangari (1995: 3287) in analysing the politics of religious-based personal laws and their impact on women. Given the influence of class, race/ethnicity, caste and religion in the lives of women from the plantation community in Sri Lanka, this paper suggests that multiple patriarchies is a useful framework to understand how the different influences combined to limit women's opportunities and entitlements on the Sri Lankan plantations.
