Feminist Praxis of Citizenship

1948 Words8 Pages
Question- What would be the feminist praxis of citizenship at the interface of state’s relation with citizenship rights? / How do feminist theory and citizenship rights speak together in the Indian context? a) Can women be the legitimate bearers of political rights? b) Indian Nation- state formation. There are various notions of understanding the term ‘citizenship’. According to Anupama Roy citizenship is which grants equality, freedom, which gives a person his or her civil, political, and social rights in context to the nation state.’ On the other hand, Marshall defines citizenship as a, ‘status bestowed on those who are full members of a community. All those who possess the status, are equal with respect to the rights and duties with which the status is endowed.’ But then one need to think or question the rights and duties that Marshall is talking about in his statement on citizenship. These rights and duties are not universal but they get formed when the citizenship formations ensue in the society. The notion of citizenship became prominent with the partition when came the question of identification of Indian citizens at the origination of the constitution, this formed the line between the citizens and the non-citizens/ aliens. Thus in this sense one can also define citizenship as ‘legal belonging and membership.’ Citizenship promises equality without any inequality of culture, caste, gender, ethnicity etc. This is a basic understanding of citizenship which one understands but then one need to analyse further and look into the definition of citizenship that whether it actually fulfils the promises. Anupama Roy mentions about the persisting hierarchies inspite of the citizenship which is to grant equality. There is a bend in the understanding of the term citizenship in the sense that on the one hand where it prevails to bring equality, at the same time
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