About this Book

The focus of this book is the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), within the larger context of contemporary Indian women's movements. AIDWA is assessed and analyzed as a left-oriented, party-affiliated, all-India women's organization. An examination of its administrative structure provides a basis from which to compare the various state-level approaches to activism. The book sheds light on the ongoing theoretical debates of Marxism and feminism and their compatibilities in their Indian-specific circumstances. Investigating the first 25 years of AIDWA's existence (1981-2006), the book looks at the explicit relationship between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and AIDWA, and how both cooperate and define each other. (Series: Gender Discussion / Gender-Diskussion - Vol. 25) [Subject: Sociology, Politics, Women's Studies, Feminism, India Studies, History]