Missionary Schools and the Struggle for Female Empowerment in Education: Lessons from the Mizo Experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrjiks.2025.v2.n2.016Keywords:
Missionary Schools, Female Empowerment, Education in Mizoram, Gender Equality, Mizo Community, Women's Education & Social ChangeAbstract
This study investigates the role of missionary schools in empowering women through education in Mizoram, focusing on the historical context, cultural shifts, and lasting impact on female education in the region. Missionary schools in the late 19th and early 20th centuries played a crucial role in offering educational opportunities to Mizo women, who were otherwise excluded from formal schooling due to traditional gender roles. This research draws on secondary data from historical sources, alongside live experiences and interviews with Mizo women who have been part of this educational transformation process. This study explores how missionary education facilitated women's access to literacy, leadership, and professional roles, while also reshaping societal perceptions of gender equality in the Mizo community. It emphasis the dual role of these schools as instruments of colonial influence and spaces that promoted social change, especially in terms of gender. This paper outlines how these educational interventions contribute to the broader struggle for women's empowerment, providing insights into how education can challenge gender norms and contribute to societal progress. By exploring the Mizo experience, this study offers valuable lessons for contemporary efforts to enhance female empowerment through education in regions where gender inequality remains entrenched.
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Contextualize Mizoram’s experience: Combine historical sources on missionary schooling in Mizoram (e.g., Hluna, Department of Education, IOSR article) to explain how schools began and who attended them.
