The Intersectional Politics of Gender: Pedagogy and Practice in Indian Universities

The role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as transformative agents of sustainability has gained increasing recognition in both policy and academic discourse. SDGs, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), emphasize the need for higher education to not only impart knowledge but also equip students with the skills, values and competencies necessary to lead sustainable transitions. The importance of higher education in achieving greater sensitivity towards the social, political and economic complexities that emerge from gender inequalities is uncontested. The chapter examines how academia is shaping the understanding of political economy of gender (PEG) by analysing the experiences of faculty, the curriculum and pedagogy of gender & women studies programmed offered in India HEIs. By collecting and analysing the classroom narratives from faculties of different HEIs, the chapter highlights the challenges in pedagogy and policy framework viz. classroom resistance at the intersection of class, caste, religion and sexuality, gender fatigue i.e., indifference towards issues of gender, ideological resistance, politicisation and tokenism. The scope of the chapter is limited to the narratives collected from faculty members teaching Gender focused courses on Indian HEI that engages with the concept of PEG. The objective of the chapter is to understand, deconstruct and reimagine the approach(es) being adopted by the faculties in the classroom to engage with the questions of power dynamics, social and cultural conditioning, distribution of resources that shape PEG. The outcome of this chapter is a deeper understanding of how pedagogy functions as both a site of resistance and possibilities, offering pathways to reimagine PEG in Indian HEI while presenting critical perspectives on the relevant policy framework.