Improving Social lives: Money, Community, and Feminist Solidarity in Kashmir

How do women care for each other? Do they support each other financially and in what ways? In trying to find answers to these questions, I focus on an age-old practice/tradition in Kashmir— Gul Muth—in which there is an exchange of money between women (often relatives, neighbors, and friends). Typically, in Gul Muth women provide money to each other on occasions related to marriage or death or even at the particular accomplishment of a close family member like passing exams or getting jobs. The relationship between money and women in conservative societies is often played through practices like dowry, thus, undermining the social position of women. Gul Muth inverts the relationship as it helps women to create spaces of empowerment within as they help each other. At the same time, Gul Muth faces opposition from men as it is regarded as an innovation in religion and a burden on family expenses (especially if the men are sole earning members of the family). This paper focuses on how women navigate the freedoms offered by this tradition and the restrictions imposed by the limited access to money. I also want to push the argument to think of this practice as feminist solidarity at the subaltern level. By this, I mean these women do not necessarily think of themselves as feminists but makes them part of the larger movement.