Gender and Culture

The Tension Between Cultural Identity and Gender Justice

A recurring problem in debates about globalisation is the way cultural identity is invoked to justify practices that are fundamentally undemocratic and discriminatory against women. Defenders of a rigid, traditional idea of culture often argue that any challenge to such practices is an attack on their community’s identity. This argument can be used to defend a wide range of injustices — from the extreme case of sati (the now-illegal practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband’s funeral pyre) to more common forms of exclusion, such as denying women access to education or barring them from participation in public life.

Globalisation as a Convenient Scapegoat

In such arguments, globalisation is frequently turned into a bogey — a convenient enemy. The reasoning goes: outside influences (Westernisation, modernity, global culture) are corrupting our authentic traditions, and therefore we must resist any change, especially in gender roles. This framing allows unjust practices against women to be shielded from criticism under the banner of cultural preservation. The real issue — the injustice itself — is sidestepped by blaming globalisation.

The Indian Democratic Alternative …