![SHIKSHAN SANSHODHAN [ ISSN(O): 2581-6241 ] Peer-Reviewed, Referred, Indexed Research Journal.](https://shikshansanshodhan.researchculturesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/SS-TITLE-HEADER.png)
Role of Meira Paibi in Women’s Empowerment and Social Protection in Manipur
Author(s): 1. Dr. Gurumayum Bijoykumar Sharma, 2. Karam Churanchandra Singh
Authors Affiliations:
1. Dr. Gurumayum Bijoykumar Sharma, Assistant Professor, Department of Indian Languages and Literary Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi.
2. Karam Churanchandra Singh, Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of Indian Languages and Literary Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi.
The Meira Paibi movement, popularly known as the “Women Torchbearers” of Manipur, represents one of the most significant grassroots women’s movements in Northeast India. Emerging from earlier women-led struggles such as the Nupi Lan (Women’s Wars) and anti-liquor campaigns, the movement has evolved into a powerful civil society institution dedicated to community welfare, human rights protection, and social justice. This article examines the role of Meira Paibi in promoting women’s empowerment and social protection in Manipur. The study argues that Meira Paibi has transformed women from passive participants into active agents of social and political change. The movement has empowered women through collective mobilization, leadership development, political participation, and public engagement. Simultaneously, it has contributed to social protection by addressing issues such as drug abuse, alcoholism, domestic violence, human rights violations, and community security. The article also highlights contemporary challenges confronting the movement, including political polarization, conflict, and criticisms of moral policing. Despite these challenges, Meira Paibi remains a critical institution for grassroots democracy, women’s agency, and community resilience in Manipur.
Dr. Gurumayum Bijoykumar Sharma, Karam Churanchandra Singh (2026); Role of Meira Paibi in Women’s Empowerment and Social Protection in Manipur, Shikshan Sanshodhan : Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, ISSN(o): 2581-6241, Volume – 9, Issue – 6, Available on – https://shikshansanshodhan.researchculturesociety.org/
1. Arambam, S. (2021). Women’s empowerment in Manipur. Journal of Social and Political Sciences, 4(1), 125–139.
2. Baruah, S. (2020). In the name of the nation: India and its northeast. Stanford University Press.
3. Basnet, M. (2019). Disrobed and dissenting bodies of the Meira Paibi: Postcolonial counterpublic activism. Communication and the Public, 4(3), 239-252.
4. Chaisingkananont, S., & Saisin, A. (2026). Grassroots Security: The Meira Paibi Movement and the Intersection of Gender, Ethnicity, and Conflict in Manipur. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 13(2), 98–116. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2656
5. Cockburn, C. (2007). From where we stand: War, women’s activism and feminist analysis. Zed Books.
6. Devi, L. I. (2011). History of modern Manipur. Akansha Publishing House.
7. Fernandes, W., & Barbora, S. (2002). Changing women’s status in India: focus on the Northeast. Guwahati: North Eastern Social Research Centre.
8. Fraser, N. (1990). Rethinking the public sphere: A contribution to the critique of actually existing democracy. Social Text, 25/26, 56–80.
9. Kabeer, N. (1999). Resources, agency, achievements: Reflections on the measurement of women’s empowerment. Development and Change, 30(3), 435–464.
10. Kumar, B. B. (2004). Northeast India: The evolution of a conflict. Shipra Publications.
11. Misra, U. (2000). The periphery strikes back: Challenges to the nation-state in Assam and Nagaland. Indian Institute of Advanced Study.
12. Nepram, B. (2005). South Asia’s fractured frontier: Armed conflict, narcotics and small arms proliferation in India’s Northeast. Mittal Publications.
13. Ngangbam, B. (2024). Role of women civil society organizations in resisting gender-based violence in Manipur. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 30(1), 6145–6152.
14. Oinam, A. C., & Thoidingjam, P. (2020). A brief review of Meira Paibi: A women’s movement in Manipur. Asian Review of Social Sciences, 9(2), 20–23.
15. Putnam, R. D. (1993). Making democracy work: Civic traditions in modern Italy. Princeton University Press.
16. Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press.
17. United Nations Development Programme. (2022). Human development report 2021–2022: Uncertain times, unsettled lives. UNDP.
18. World Bank. (2012). World development report 2012: Gender equality and development. World Bank.