The Hidden Matrix: Women’s Positions and Gender Relations in Adibasi Societies

Accordingly, the study has unravelled the hidden matrix of women’s positions and gender relations in the selected adibasi communities of Dalu, Garo, Khasi, Oraon, Patra and Santal. A side-by-side discussion of the patrilineal and matrilineal communities has given scope to have a glimpse of the comparative picture of two different lineage groups. Indigenous people of Bangladesh are marginalized in the national context of Bangladesh primarily because of their ethnic and religious identities as being non-Bengali and non-Muslim in a majority Bengali Muslim dominated country. Indigenous women are additionally discriminated against for their gender identify both at the national and community levels. They are generally situated at the bottom of ethnic, religious, gender and class based hierarchy in the society. The study argues that the situations of adibasi women’s positions are indeed contrasting with the presence of certain rights and privileges and absence of some basic rights and voices simultaneously.