Role of Women in the Monpa Society- A Study of Dirang circle,West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh.

Abstract

Women occupy multidimensional roles in Monpa society as caregivers, economic contributors, custodians of tradition and participants in local governance. This paper examines these roles among the Monpa of Dirang circle, West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight women from Dirang town and the villages of Khaso, Dirang, Lish, Phudung and Namsu in August 2026, supported by published literature. Women are primarily responsible for child-rearing and moral education, and carry out key agricultural tasks such as sowing, weeding, transplanting paddy and storing the harvest. Mothers pass on weaving skills, including the making of the traditional Shingka dress, carpets and Dangnya bags, as well as songs, dances and oral narratives that preserve community history. Women prepare households for the Losar festival, arrange materials for religious rituals and take part in community rites such as Chosker. Through self-help groups under the Arunachal State Rural Livelihood Mission, they run small enterprises and two rural marts, and they increasingly serve in village councils and Panchayati Raj institutions. Although Monpa society remains patrilineal, women's contributions are central to family life, the local economy, cultural continuity and community governance. The study is exploratory, and further research with larger samples is recommended.