Reflecting on My Ethnic Identity Through an Analysis of the Lives of Women from Kharan

Author Information

Anum Sanaullah, Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Pakistan

Abstract

The study focuses on two critical issues: first, the right to self-representation of women in traditional Kharani society and Pakistani culture; and second, how women negotiate their roles both within their households and in the broader community. Drawing on the works of critical theorists such as Stuart Hall and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, I have framed my research within postcolonial and feminist theories. Secondary research encompasses existing research on Balochistan, as well as insights from Western scholars who have studied the region and its politics. The practice was supported by primary sources, such as family photo archives, interviews with family members, household objects, living spaces, and my interactions with a group of over ten women, mostly married with children, aged 20 to 60, from Kharan. Through this research, I had the opportunity to glimpse into their lives, which, in turn, enabled me to celebrate their resilience despite constant marginalization, as they continue to individually and collectively choose to make their existence meaningful.