INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY FIELD

Abstract:  This paper, “Weaving Identities: The Socio-Political Role of Women in Manipur,” investigates the historical and contemporary trajectories of women’s participation in shaping Manipur’s socio-political fabric. Situated at the crossroads of gender, ethnicity, and conflict, Manipuri women have long exercised collective agency through institutions and movements that blur the boundaries between the private and public spheres. The study foregrounds the evolution of women’s socio-political engagement—from the Nupi Lan (Women’s Wars) against colonial and exploitative economic systems to the enduring significance of the Ima Keithel (Mother’s Market) as a space of economic autonomy and political discourse. It further examines women’s leadership in peacebuilding, human rights advocacy, and grassroots mobilization amidst prolonged militarization and ethno-political unrest. Employing a multidisciplinary approach that integrates feminist theory, postcolonial studies, and ethnographic inquiry, the paper argues that Manipuri women’s activism constitutes a form of embodied resistance that redefines power, community, and identity in the region. Ultimately, it positions Manipuri women not merely as participants but as critical architects of Manipur’s socio-political transformation