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Juxtaposing The Great Indian Kitchen and the Kudumbashree: Women, Work and Agency in Kerala

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  • Daigy Varghese
  • Shubha Ranganathan

Abstract

The recent Malayalam film ‘The great Indian kitchen’ invoked debate in Kerala on women’s unpaid work in the house. Taking off from this film, this commentary draws on ethnographic research with women participating in the Kudumbashree , a women’s empowerment programme in Kerala, to engage with questions of paid work, household labour and care arrangements within the household. While the film depicts the struggles of a newly wedded young woman in her in-laws’ house and how she leaves the marriage to follow her dreams, this article shifts the focus to the tactics and strategies used by women in their 40s and 50s who remain within the family fold. We look at the experiences of these women who negotiate work and care arrangements to meet their needs. In doing so, we seek to understand what these strategies say about the conceptualisation of women’s agency and independence, particularly in South Asian contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Daigy Varghese & Shubha Ranganathan, 2021. "Juxtaposing The Great Indian Kitchen and the Kudumbashree: Women, Work and Agency in Kerala," Indian Journal of Human Development, , vol. 15(2), pages 353-362, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:inddev:v:15:y:2021:i:2:p:353-362
    DOI: 10.1177/09737030211035863
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Naila Kabeer, 1999. "Resources, Agency, Achievements: Reflections on the Measurement of Women's Empowerment," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 30(3), pages 435-464, July.
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