Safeguarding Well-Being through Friendship Intimacy: The Experiences of Girls in Patriarchal Slum Communities in India

This presentation reviews how, in conservative slum communities in India, girls actively and purposefully nurture positive and meaningful same-sex friendships to safeguard their well-being in patriarchal societies that are deeply suspicious of them. I show how friendship intimacy allows girls to expand their social and cultural knowledges, and navigate challenges in their relationships, schooling and family lives. Studying these intentional friendships reveals a culture of vendettas, injustice, patriarchal control and generational misunderstandings which shrouds the everyday lives of girls in the slums. By demonstrating how girls actively and mindfully develop and engage in same-sex friendships, this presentation shows how they take charge of their own well-being to invest in happiness and social connection within patriarchal societies.