About the Journal

Samyukta: A Journal of Women’s Studies is a biannual journal published by Women’s Initiatives, a group of women professionals based at Thiruvananthapuram. It was founded as a response to the need many of us felt of having a medium through which women can share their experiences, views and opinions. By providing a forum for dialogue, we hope to explore the many ways in which women can negotiate the subaltern status they presently occupy. Recognizing the importance of defining theoretical positions even as we move into action, we do not in fact see the two as different or oppositional, it is our wish that Samyukta will emerge as a powerful instrument in instilling the spirit of self-awareness in women

Undoubtedly, when fundamentalism of any kind gains ascendancy, it is the voice of women that gets silenced first. Any call for freedom would become futile and women who occupy the marginal areas of society would suffer the most. It is the avowed goal of Samyukta to contest such a situation in all possible ways and enable women to grapple with the ground realities of their existence. This, we feel, is the essence of empowerment.

In this effort at empowering women, we aim to stress the importance of knowledge. Knowledge is recognized as the key determinant in the game of power in which women find themselves as unequal partners. We hope to address the situation and offer corrections to the extent possible. By widening the scope and scope of rational, tolerant and democratic social choice, to echo the words of Amartya Sen, we can enable women to exercise command over their lives. We are also convinced that whatever be the position that women take, the emphasis must fall on local, specific and historically informed analysis carefully grounded in the political and cultural contexts of their lives.