Gendered Soveriegnty in Women's protests in the Global South

This paper employs feminist political theory to analyze the power dynamics, structures, and motivations shaping women's rights movements in the Kashmir region, Iran, and Afghanistan. Taking a long historical view, the paper aims to construct a context of undemocratic politics, conflict, war, and economic factors that inform the meaning of women’s political actions. Examining these factors as manifested in intergenerational actions, the paper explores the resilience of women that articulates equality in the sense of inclusion within governance but also as a reflection on the undemocratic nature of governance in the global south. In 2022, Iranian women protested compulsory hijab laws in the "Women, Life, Freedom" demonstrations. Linked to the "White Wednesdays" campaign, the protests challenged societal norms, emphasizing a desire for increased personal freedoms and gender equality within Iran's complex sociopolitical context. The 2021 Taliban takeover following the collapse of the Afghan national government brought Afghan women to the streets. They protested in large numbers and engaged in online campaigns, advocating for rights, education, and continued public participation. In 2016, a militant funeral led to fervent calls for self-determination and opposition to Indian rule in Kashmir. Women played a transformative role, challenging traditional gender roles and spotlighting the multifaceted impact of conflict. Addressing issues such as human rights abuses and militarization, their activism marked a significant moment in Kashmir's socio-political landscape. Exploring these three important recent movements of popular women’s protests, particularly the 2016 anti-India protests in Kashmir, Women’s protests during the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, and Women, life, Freedom protests in Iran in 2018, I articulate a theoretical notion of gendered sovereignty in the global South. Focusing on narratives of affect and grief, anecdotes, poetics, literature, and social media content, I perform a thorough qualitative analysis to understand meaning, context, and power structures that form the embodied feminist politics in these region