Published Paper Details:

This paper examines the construction of gender in the Nyishi (Nyishing) tribe of Arunachal Pradesh through a conceptual and thematic approach. Using secondary sources, ethnographic accounts, and feminist theoretical frameworks, the study analyses how customary law, religion, Christianity, and modern social changes shape gender roles and relations. Findings show that customary law and ritual practices continue to privilege male authority, while women's roles, though culturally significant, are often confined to domestic and supportive spheres. At the same time, education, state policies, and Christian influence are gradually opening new spaces for women's participation, leadership, and agency. By applying insights from Judith Butler, Mary Wollstonecraft, Virginia Woolf, and Arundhati Roy, the paper highlights that gender is socially performed, culturally justified, and dynamically negotiated. The study argues that customary law and ritual practices continue to privilege male authority, while women's roles, though culturally significant, are often located within domestic and supportive spheres.