Published Paper Details:

Meitei women in Manipur hold a paradoxically central yet complex position in society. While highly visible and economically independent through institutions like the historic Ima Keithel (Mothers' Market), they remain subject to patriarchal norms, political underrepresentation, and high rates of domestic conflict within the community the Meitei society in Manipur, a Brahamanical Hindu society, royally patronized is unique with instances of female independence and power. To a certain extent the women of Manipur enjoyed a degree of freedom as in case of choosing their life partner, the absence of dowry and honour killings but the women are still not free from being the victims of exploitation of a patriarchal setup. ?The women do have a highly productive role in the socio-economic realm of the society as well as in the household but they still do not occupy an equal status with the men. They still do not have much say in making decisions. The purpose of this essay is to discuss how the role played by the Meitei women is very different to the status they occupy in the society