Gender inequality: The invisible fault line that shapes every conflict
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Sophia Rajkumari
Conflict is often described in terms of territory, politics, and power. Yet beneath every headline and every battlefield lies a quieter, deeper fault line- gender inequality. It is not merely a side effect of war; it is a force that shapes how conflict unfolds, who suffers most, and who is allowed to rebuild when the violence subsides. Understanding gender inequality in conflict is not an academic exercise. It is a moral and strategic necessity.
Gender inequality doesn’t just harm women-it weakens entire societies. When half the population is denied rights, opportunities, and safety, the whole community becomes more fragile. This fragility creates the perfect conditions for conflict to grow. Gender inequality is not just a social injustice - it is a structural imbalance that fuels tension, weakens institutions, and creates the conditions in which conflict becomes more likely.
Gender inequality often intensifies ethnic or communal conflicts by rende- ring women vulnerable to exploitation as instruments of violence, while simultaneously excluding them from decision-making processes. In patriarchal socie- ties, women may become symbolic targets - representing the "honor" of their community - leading to gen-dered violence as a deli- berate tactic to humiliate and dominate opposing groups. This dynamic not only perpetuates cycles of retaliation but also sidelines women's voices, limiting opportunities for peace-building and resolution.
The ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, which erupted in May 2023 between the Meitei commu- nity and the Kuki-Zo, exemplifies this interplay. Rooted in disputes over land rights, resource allocation, illegal immigration and drugs, the violence has claimed over 260 lives, displaced thousands and seen renewed clashes.
A stark manifestation of gender inequality in this conflict is the use of women as tools of warfare by both warring communities. Se- xual and gender-based violence has been weaponized, with reports of rapes, gang rapes, public humiliations and assaults targeting wo-men from opposing groups. The most infamous incident, captured in a viral video from May 2023, showed two Kuki-Zo women being paraded naked, groped and sexually assaulted by a mob of Meitei men in Kangpokpi district. Similar allegations of sexual violence against Meitei women by Kuki groups have also surfaced, highlighting how both sides have employed such acts to inflict psychological trauma, assert dominance and exact revenge. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and UN experts, have documented these as systematic patterns, functioning as "weapons of war" to terrorize and displace commu- nities.
Tragically, in January 2026, a young woman who was abducted and allegedly gang-raped on May 15, 2023, during the early days of the ethnic clashes, succumbed to her injuries after a nearly three-year struggle. Despite surviving the initial assault, she never fully recovered, and her case highlights the enduring impact of gendered violence in prolonging suffering long after the immediate attacks. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into her case remained stalled with no arrests made. Her death without accountability further exemplifies how unaddressed gender-based atrocities perpetuate cycles of grief and resentment in the region.
Compounding this vulnerability is women's systemic lack of decision-making power in Manipur's patriarchal structures, which span both Meitei and Kuki societies. Traditional leadership, such as Meitei co- mmunity organizations and Kuki chieftainships, remains male-dominated, marginalizing women in political and conflict-resolution forums. Even vocal women activists or protesters often operate within patriarchal norms, framing their advocacy around protecting community "honor" or family rather than challenging gender hierarchies directly. This conformity aids social acceptance but reinforces their exclusion from core negotiations, peace talks, or policy decisions, allowing the conflict to persist without inclusive perspectives that could prioritize de-escalation and reconciliation.
How Deep-Rooted Gender Inequality Escalates from a Single Household to State-Wide Chaos
Gender inequality often originates at the micro-level of individual households, where patriarchal norms dictate unequal power dynamics, resource allocation and opportunities. In a typical Manipur household - whether Meitei or Kuki - deep-rooted inequality might manifest as boys receiving preferential access to education, nutrition and inheritance, while girls are burdened with domestic chores, early marriages, or restricted mobility. Domestic violence, often norma- lized as a "private matter," further entrenches women's subordination, teaching younger generations that gender-based control is acceptable. This household- level disparity fosters a culture of silence and compliance, where women learn to internalize their lesser status, limiting their aspirations and agency from an early age.
As these patterns replicate across families, they aggregate into community-wide norms. In villages or neighborhoods, male-dominated decision-making bodies (like village councils in Kuki areas or leikai committees among Meiteis) exclude women, reinforcing collective behaviors that prioritize male authority. Social pressures compel women to conform-vocal ones may advocate for community issues but rarely challenge the patriarchy itself, fearing ostracism. Over time, this creates echo chambers where inequality is perpetuated through customs, folklore and education systems, normalizing the objectification of women as bearers of family or ethnic "honor."
At the societal and institutional level, these entrenched norms influence laws, policies and governance. In Manipur, despite Constitutional protections, implementation is weak due to cultural biases: women hold minimal political representation (e.g., few female MLAs or leaders in ethnic organizations), and issues like gender-based violence are underreported or dismissed. Economic disparities compound this-women's limited access to land or jobs in households scales up to broader poverty and dependency, making communities more volatile during resource scarcities.
In times of ethnic tension, such as Manipur's current conflict, this has an amplifying effect. Household-taught notions of "honor" transform women into symbolic battlegrounds: assaults on them are seen not as individual crimes but as attacks on the community's identity, provoking retaliatory violence. Excluded from decision-making, women cannot mediate or advocate for peace, allowing male-led militias and leaders to escalate clashes unchecked. The result is a feedback loop - violence begets more inequality, displacing fami- lies, disrupting education, and deepening household divides - turning localized grievances into widespread anarchy, as seen in the ongoing blockades, arson, and armed confrontations that have paralyzed the state since May 2023.
Ultimately, addressing Manipur's crisis requires tackling underlying gender inequalities: prosecuting perpetrators of sexual violence impartially, ampli- fying women's roles in governance and peace processes, and dismantling norms that treat them as collateral or tools in ethnic strife. Without this, gen-dered dimensions will con- tinue to fuel and prolong the violence, demonstrating how unchecked household inequality can unravel an entire society's fabric.
The writer is Founder and Chairperson Eta Northeast Foundation trust
Conflict is often described in terms of territory, politics, and power. Yet beneath every headline and every battlefield lies a quieter, deeper fault line- gender inequality. It is not merely a side effect of war; it is a force that shapes how conflict unfolds, who suffers most, and who is allowed to rebuild when the violence subsides. Understanding gender inequality in conflict is not an academic exercise. It is a moral and strategic necessity.
Gender inequality doesn’t just harm women-it weakens entire societies. When half the population is denied rights, opportunities, and safety, the whole community becomes more fragile. This fragility creates the perfect conditions for conflict to grow. Gender inequality is not just a social injustice - it is a structural imbalance that fuels tension, weakens institutions, and creates the conditions in which conflict becomes more likely.
Gender inequality often intensifies ethnic or communal conflicts by rende- ring women vulnerable to exploitation as instruments of violence, while simultaneously excluding them from decision-making processes. In patriarchal socie- ties, women may become symbolic targets - representing the "honor" of their community - leading to gen-dered violence as a deli- berate tactic to humiliate and dominate opposing groups. This dynamic not only perpetuates cycles of retaliation but also sidelines women's voices, limiting opportunities for peace-building and resolution.
The ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, which erupted in May 2023 between the Meitei commu- nity and the Kuki-Zo, exemplifies this interplay. Rooted in disputes over land rights, resource allocation, illegal immigration and drugs, the violence has claimed over 260 lives, displaced thousands and seen renewed clashes.
A stark manifestation of gender inequality in this conflict is the use of women as tools of warfare by both warring communities. Se- xual and gender-based violence has been weaponized, with reports of rapes, gang rapes, public humiliations and assaults targeting wo-men from opposing groups. The most infamous incident, captured in a viral video from May 2023, showed two Kuki-Zo women being paraded naked, groped and sexually assaulted by a mob of Meitei men in Kangpokpi district. Similar allegations of sexual violence against Meitei women by Kuki groups have also surfaced, highlighting how both sides have employed such acts to inflict psychological trauma, assert dominance and exact revenge. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and UN experts, have documented these as systematic patterns, functioning as "weapons of war" to terrorize and displace commu- nities.
Tragically, in January 2026, a young woman who was abducted and allegedly gang-raped on May 15, 2023, during the early days of the ethnic clashes, succumbed to her injuries after a nearly three-year struggle. Despite surviving the initial assault, she never fully recovered, and her case highlights the enduring impact of gendered violence in prolonging suffering long after the immediate attacks. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into her case remained stalled with no arrests made. Her death without accountability further exemplifies how unaddressed gender-based atrocities perpetuate cycles of grief and resentment in the region.
Compounding this vulnerability is women's systemic lack of decision-making power in Manipur's patriarchal structures, which span both Meitei and Kuki societies. Traditional leadership, such as Meitei co- mmunity organizations and Kuki chieftainships, remains male-dominated, marginalizing women in political and conflict-resolution forums. Even vocal women activists or protesters often operate within patriarchal norms, framing their advocacy around protecting community "honor" or family rather than challenging gender hierarchies directly. This conformity aids social acceptance but reinforces their exclusion from core negotiations, peace talks, or policy decisions, allowing the conflict to persist without inclusive perspectives that could prioritize de-escalation and reconciliation.
How Deep-Rooted Gender Inequality Escalates from a Single Household to State-Wide Chaos
Gender inequality often originates at the micro-level of individual households, where patriarchal norms dictate unequal power dynamics, resource allocation and opportunities. In a typical Manipur household - whether Meitei or Kuki - deep-rooted inequality might manifest as boys receiving preferential access to education, nutrition and inheritance, while girls are burdened with domestic chores, early marriages, or restricted mobility. Domestic violence, often norma- lized as a "private matter," further entrenches women's subordination, teaching younger generations that gender-based control is acceptable. This household- level disparity fosters a culture of silence and compliance, where women learn to internalize their lesser status, limiting their aspirations and agency from an early age.
As these patterns replicate across families, they aggregate into community-wide norms. In villages or neighborhoods, male-dominated decision-making bodies (like village councils in Kuki areas or leikai committees among Meiteis) exclude women, reinforcing collective behaviors that prioritize male authority. Social pressures compel women to conform-vocal ones may advocate for community issues but rarely challenge the patriarchy itself, fearing ostracism. Over time, this creates echo chambers where inequality is perpetuated through customs, folklore and education systems, normalizing the objectification of women as bearers of family or ethnic "honor."
At the societal and institutional level, these entrenched norms influence laws, policies and governance. In Manipur, despite Constitutional protections, implementation is weak due to cultural biases: women hold minimal political representation (e.g., few female MLAs or leaders in ethnic organizations), and issues like gender-based violence are underreported or dismissed. Economic disparities compound this-women's limited access to land or jobs in households scales up to broader poverty and dependency, making communities more volatile during resource scarcities.
In times of ethnic tension, such as Manipur's current conflict, this has an amplifying effect. Household-taught notions of "honor" transform women into symbolic battlegrounds: assaults on them are seen not as individual crimes but as attacks on the community's identity, provoking retaliatory violence. Excluded from decision-making, women cannot mediate or advocate for peace, allowing male-led militias and leaders to escalate clashes unchecked. The result is a feedback loop - violence begets more inequality, displacing fami- lies, disrupting education, and deepening household divides - turning localized grievances into widespread anarchy, as seen in the ongoing blockades, arson, and armed confrontations that have paralyzed the state since May 2023.
Ultimately, addressing Manipur's crisis requires tackling underlying gender inequalities: prosecuting perpetrators of sexual violence impartially, ampli- fying women's roles in governance and peace processes, and dismantling norms that treat them as collateral or tools in ethnic strife. Without this, gen-dered dimensions will con- tinue to fuel and prolong the violence, demonstrating how unchecked household inequality can unravel an entire society's fabric.
The writer is Founder and Chairperson Eta Northeast Foundation trust