This Palgrave Pivot offers an in-depth exploration of the intricate interplay between gender, identity, and religion among the Nat community, a marginalized nomadic group in India and Nepal. Chapters delve into the historical context, societal norms, and cultural dynamics that shape the identities and roles of Nat women and the challenges they face. Examining the intersectional vulnerabilities of marginalized women, this book offers a nuanced understanding of the interplay between identity, gender, caste, and religion in shaping lived realities and deepens the discourse on the complex relationship between structural inequality and identity in South Asia. It thus contributes to scholarly debates on the politics of recognition, resistance, and agency among historically oppressed groups. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in sociology, gender studies, anthropology, legal studies, human rights, dalit studies, and South Asia studies, as well as policymakers, NGOs, and social workers aiming to support the empowerment and social inclusion of Nat women.

Md Moshabbir Alam  is a research associate at the National Institute of Technology Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the National Institute of Technology, Raipur, India. His primary research interests include Sociology, DNTs, Social Change, Gender Studies, Dalit Studies, Tribal Studies, Education, Human Rights and Social Anthropology.