ABSTRACT
Punjab is known for its deep-rooted patriarchy resulting in a cultural context where the feminine voice in the public sphere has largely been suppressed and muted. Whereas one finds isolated instances of Punjabi women strongly and successfully expressing themselves in the public sphere, the abject situation with regard to their political participation remains a cause for concern. This chapter argues that while women in Punjab have remained a part of almost all successful mass movements: social, religious, and political, rarely has such participation led to the rise of a strong feminist voice much less the creation of an indigenous feminist discourse in the state. The chapter also discusses how the power matrix in Punjab, constructed through the inter-sections of patriarchal traditions with money, violence, religion, caste, and dynastic politics, works to systematically silence, inactivate, and exclude women from the political system, thus putting them at an acute economic and social disadvantage.
