Women’s experiences across geographies are profoundly shaped by cultural, legal, economic, and political structures at national and international levels. While the challenges that women face in different regions may vary, many of these issues stem from systemic gender inequality and patriarchal norms that transcend geographical boundaries. At times, these problems are exacerbated by gender-based discrimination amid conflicts, wars, and civil strife. As the world continues to become more interconnected, it becomes increasingly vital to examine women’s issues through a comparative lens, fostering cross-cultural understanding, solidarity, and the exchange of strategies for empowerment and reform. The Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) organised a two-day International Conference titled “Women Across Geographies: Issues and Perspectives” on 8-9 October 2025 to delve into some of the most pressing issues that affect women across various cultures and geographies. The Conference brought together a cross-section of scholars and experts in the fields of international relations, gender studies, sociology, anthropology, psychology, lawyers, media and UN Peacekeeping, presenting case studies, regional perspectives, legal frameworks, and desirable evolution in them, and socio-cultural analyses of these issues. Thirty-one experts from ten countries across five continents gathered to deliberate on themes like the purdah system, prostitution, polygamy, pornography, widow remarriage, age of consent and women in peace and security. It also explored how to make men strong partners of women in dealing with these issues. The present publication is a compilation of the presentations made at the Conference and deliberations held to gain a deeper understanding of the prevalence of select social practices within the socio-economic, political and legal landscape while contributing to policy discourse. It focuses on contemporary dynamics, suggests forward-looking approaches and provides a comparative lens to assess how specific issues impact women differently across regions and cultures. The publication seeks to broaden our analytical frameworks, challenge normative assumptions in international policy, and make space for more equitable and gender-sensitive global conversations.

Contents Foreword Welcome Remarks Ms. Nutan Kapoor, Additional Secretary, ICWA Special Address Smt. Vijaya K. Rahatkar, Chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW), India Closing Remarks Ms. Nutan Kapoor, Additional Secretary, ICWA

PART-I The Purdah System: Cultural Tradition or Instrument of Oppression? 1. Hybrid Institutions and Purdah in Kazakhstan: Symbolic Shelter and Legal Frameworks Laura Yerekesheva 2. An Islamic Feminist Critique of Discourses on the Practice of Hijab in Muslim Societies Md. Muddassir Quamar PART-II Prostitution: Money, Business, Trafficking and Morality 3. Religious Tradition, Non-Conjugal Sexuality and Stigma: The Case of Jogatis, Basavis, Mathamma and Muralis Priyadarshini Vijaisri 4. Overview of the Commercial Sex Industry in Russia Anastasia Grishina 5. Money, Morality and Marginalization: The Complex Realities of Sex Work in Southeast Asia Trude Jacobsen PART-III Polygamy: Personal Choice or Patriarchal Practice? 6. Polygamy: Why Won’t Mere Criminalisation End it? Faizan Mustafa 7. Polygamy as a Personal Choice or Patriarchal Structure: A Comparative Analysis Lizelle Ramaccio Calvino 8. Ambivalence Towards State Regulation of Polygamy in Indonesia: Case Studies from Jakarta Theresia Dyah Wirastri PART-IV Pornography: Commodification of Women or Behavioral Issue of Men? 9. Viewing Pornographies through a Humanities Lens: Implications for Research, Pedagogy, and Policy Constance Penley 10. Architectures of Harm: Pornography, AI and the Digital Governance of Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) Tehmina Kaaosji PART-V Widow Remarriage: Tradition, Taboo and Transformation 11. Widow Remarriage, Tradition, and Barriers in India, Nepal, and Kenya: Impact on Well-being and Transformation Saradamoyee Chatterjee 12. The Taboo of Widowhood in Africa: Cultural and Human Rights Conflict Mary A Nyangweso 13. Remarriage and Retention of Property: A Critical Analysis of Widow’s Inheritance Rights in Contemporary India Rai Ganguly PART-VI Age of Consent: Developing a View on What is Right or Wrong, Acceptable or Unacceptable 14. Contours of Contemporary Debate on Age of Consent in India: How Judges View It Anant Kumar Asthana 15. Beyond Yes and No: Rethinking the Age of Consent Through Power, Rights, and Inequality Vilashini “Vila” Somiah 16. Consent Beyond Numbers: Feminist Perspectives on Equality, Autonomy, and Democracy Carolina Atencio PART-VII Women, Peace and Security (WPS): Beyond the Battlefield 17. The Battlefield as a Spectrum: Insights from an Intersection of “Women, Peace and Security” (WPS) and Foucauldian Approaches Rina Kashyap 18. Women, Peace and Security: Reflections from the Field Suman Gawani 19. UNSCR 1325 and the Voice of the Afghan Woman: Re-thinking Resistance in the Age of Ruptures Shweta Singh