Navigating Gendered and Structural Barriers to Aspirations through Feminist Action-Research: Experiences of Youth in Kalyanpuri, New Delhi

Feminist action-research is a powerful tool for bridging theoretical research and social change, combining real-world engagement with academic rigor. Drawing on Jean Dreze’s (2002) insights, this paper explores how integrating research and action enhances knowledge while fostering social emancipation, particularly in contexts of inequality. Dreze’s work highlights how action-research democratizes knowledge by engaging with communities and influencing policy from a grassroots perspective, challenging purely academic models.

This study carried out in an informal settlement, Kalyanpuri, in New Delhi, India, exemplifies this by using participatory methodologies to explore the socio-cultural barriers constraining marginalized youth, especially girls. Grounded in the capability approach by Amartya Sen (1995, 1999) and Martha Nussbaum (2011), the study shifts the focus from access to resources to expanding youth capabilities and agency. It shows how gender norms, economic hardship, and social resources shape aspirations and limit opportunities, with girls facing particular challenges in education, mobility, and safety. This paper explores how feminist action-research empowers girls belonging to underprivileged backgrounds, fostering collective agency, to drive change in discriminatory social norms and practices. We will discuss the use of mixed and multi methods, particularly the use of participatory tools based on theatre of the oppressed, reflexivity, participant observations, and case studies, emphasizing their role in highlighting the lived experiences of marginalized groups. The paper highlights how action-research challenges power structures, supports sustainable development, and facilitates community empowerment, serving as a catalyst for social transformation.

Dreze, J. (2002). On research and action. Economic and Political Weekly, 817-819.

Sen, A. (1995). Inequality reexamined. Harvard university press.

Sen, A. (1999). Commodities and capabilities. OUP Catalogue.

Nussbaum, M. C. (2005). Women's bodies: Violence, security, capabilities. Journal of Human Development, 6(2), 167-183.