“The revolution might be a start …” – gender norm change amongst Chin refugees in Mizoram, India

Abstract

Mizoram currently hosts the largest population of Myanmar refugees in India, mostly from neighbouring Chin State, who have predominantly fled in the aftermath of the 2021 coup d’état. Chin society has traditionally been marked by patriarchal and gerontocratic norms, but these have been increasingly questioned by activists in the aftermath of the Spring Revolution, as the opposition movement to the coup is locally called. Drawing on interviews with Myanmar women refugees and women’s rights activists conducted in 2024 in Mizoram, we argue that while there has been a perceived change among women toward more gender-equitable and inclusive norms, patriarchal and heteronormative practices continue to dominate. While the previous and current work of women’s rights organisations has been a key driver of change, faith-based spaces may also offer entry points for gender equality work.