Dr. Maitree Devi

Assistant Professor – Humanities

Dr. Maitree Devi

Interest Area(s)

  • Gender Relations and Role
  • Women’s Rights
  • Agency, Negotiation and Movement
  • Role of Law and Judiciary in addressing Gender Justice
  • Gender and Education; Migration
  • Women, Ecology and Environment
  • Governance and Politics in South Asia and African Regions
Dr. Maitree Devi has completed her Ph.D on “Minority Voices in Women’s Movements in India and Bangladesh: A Comparative Study of the Debates on Personal Laws”, in Comparative Politics and Political Theory (CCP&PT), School of International Studies I, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

She did her M.A. and M.Phil in Political Science in Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Science II, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Her B.A (Hons) in Political Science, was from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi.
Maitree is a feminist researcher with an expertise in issues of gender. Her academic papers and articles cover topics such as personal law; civil and constitutional law in the context of women’s rights; minority women’s rights in legal and gender paradigms; court architecture in the context of gender equality; gender relations on university campuses and in student politics; violence against women; women’s safety; women’s movements in India and Bangladesh; minority community and women; minority women and property rights; Boda women in India; women and water; Manipur’s Fractured Politics: State Violence on Kuki Students in Delhi; religious studies and the social sciences; religious fundamentalism and party politics in Bangladesh; inclusive market and policies, and so on.

Her areas of research interest are- women rights and movement; role of law and judiciary in addressing gender justice; religious fundamentalism; governance and politics in South Asia.

  • Ph.D (International Studies/Relations) – on “Minority Voices in Women’s Movements in India and Bangladesh: A Comparative Study of the Debates on Personal Laws”, in Comparative Politics and Political Theory, School of International Studies I, Jawaharlal Nehru University (2017-2022; Awarded on January 16, 2023).
  • M.Phil (Political Science) – on “Religious Fundamentalism and Party Politics: A Comparative Study of the Communal Mobilization by the Two Major Political Party Alliances in Bangladesh”, in Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Science II, Jawaharlal Nehru University (2006-2008).
  • M.A (Political Science) – Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Science II, Jawaharlal Nehru University (2004-2006).
  • B.A (Hons) (Political Science) – Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, (2001-2004).
  • Partners for Law in Development (PLD)- Consultant-Research and Development of Feminist Legal Knowledge Resources
    April-May, 2023
    [Conducting research, digitising, chronicling, and restoring PLD’s Feminist Law Archive’s documents, studies, and publications on the women’s movement’s involvement with the legal system, legal rights, and entitlements since India’s founding and earlier in the national and international sphere; managing and producing PLD’s English content on social media platforms, interacting with and developing community as the Digital Editor and Creator of multi-media campaigns and with the knowledge and expertise working on CANVA.]
  • Council for Social Development (CSD) – Research Consultant
    Feb 2023-Mar 2023
    [Literature Survey and Chapter Writing for “Assessment Study of Assam State Initiative Addressing Concerns of Out of School Children in Assam Study” submitted to Centre for Microfinance and Livelihood (CML) (an initiative of TATA Trusts); Delivered exclusive talk on CSD’s Women’s Day celebration (as a part of the Social Development Forum, SDF); Support in CSD’s proposal writing of the project titled “Evaluation of Trend of Enrolment and Private Schools in Urban and Rural Areas of Assam and Analysis of the Reasons Thereof”, initiated and funded by Samagra Siksha Assam, Kahilipara, Guwahati-781019; CSD’s Editorial works; Book Review for CSD Journal.]
  • Nirantar Trust (A Centre for Gender and Education) – Research Consultant
    Apr 2022-Jan 2023
    [Research Design and Analysis (along with other team members) of-
    a. “Gender Mapping of Schools in Bihar”-
    This research was using an intersectional lens to understand the transformational power of education. The study was conducted to make assessments of the state (and in districts) in terms of norms, structures, and practices that influence the school environment and formal or informal learning processes. This mixed methods study was conducted to map practices from a gender lens within the school education system in India, to examine infrastructure, pedagogy, curriculum, and non-curriculum activities that reinforce or construct gender and sexuality norms among learners.
    b. “Intergenerational Dialogue: An Action Research Study”-
    This comparative study was conducted with adolescent girls and older women cohorts in Bihar and Assam to gain a better understanding of one another (social profile) and address the challenges or barriers that both generations of women encounter with regard to their mobility; use of technology and mobile devices; gender roles and responsibilities; desire and sexuality; access to education; choice of clothing; agency, and negotiation with societal norms, rules, and regulations in daily life]
  • The Economist Group- Service Provider, The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited, England (The Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6HT)
    Sept 2021-Oct 2021
    [A study of “Shaping Inclusive Markets in Asia: Bangladesh Strategy Deck”- conducting research, reviewing, and writing the findings]
  • Society for Development Studies’ (SDS), India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India – Senior Research Associate, “Safety of Women in Delhi” (2009)
    Aug 2008 – Nov 2009
    [Research design, analysis and dissemination of the project and policy reformulation report for (published by) the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India]
  • School of Open Learning (Campus of Open Learning), Ad hoc/Guest Lecturer, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
    Sept 2007 -Nov 2007
    [Taught ‘Political Theory’ paper to the B.A. program’s first-year Political Science students ]
  • South Asian Network for Social and Agricultural Development (SANSAD) – Program Officer, New Delhi, India
    Aug 2007 – Dec 2007
    [Conducting research, creating the content, and publishing the Organisation’s Monthly E-Newsletter]
  • Assessment Study of Assam State Initiative Addressing Concerns of Out of School Children in Assam Study (2023).
  • Gender Mapping of Schools in Bihar (2022-23)
  • Intergenerational Dialogue: An Action Research Study (2023)
  • Minority Voices in Women’s Movements in India and Bangladesh: A Comparative Study of the Debates on Personal Laws (2022; Ph.D Research).
  • The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Research Programme on Agricultural Markets in Bangladesh, “Shaping Inclusive Markets in Asia: Bangladesh Strategy Deck” (2021)
  • Minority Women and Property Rights in India and Bangladesh: A Comparative Study (2020)
  • Religious Studies and the Social Sciences, the Development of a Problematic Relationship-Some Comparisons of Development in the West and in India (2016).
  • Religious Fundamentalism and Party Politics: A Comparative Study of the Communal Mobilization by the Two Major Political Party Alliances in Bangladesh (2008; M.Phil Research)
  • Manipur’s Fractured Politics: A Report on State Violence on Kuki Students in Delhi (2007)
  • Gender Relations in JNU (2017)
  • Women and Water (2007)
  • Status of Boda Women in India (2006)
  • Awarded the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Scholarships by the Government of India, to pursue M.A., in Political Science, from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
  • Awarded the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Scholarships by the Government of India, to pursue B.A. (Hons.), in Political Science, from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi.
  • Diploma in Women and Political Process – Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi (2003-2004).
  • Member of the Editorial Board of LSR College Magazine, 2001-2002; 2002-2003, & 2003-2004.
  • National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteer for teaching slum children in the “Child Development Program”, from 2002-2003.
  • Awarded for one of the best debaters and best organizing skills as the Executive Committee Member in the school Debating Club, in 1998-1999.
  • Minority Women’s Movements and Struggles against Gender Unjust Religious Personal Laws in India and Bangladesh (2023), Women’s Day Special-Social Development Forum, Council for Social Development (CSD), 09th March, 2023 (hybrid mode).
  • Minority Women and Property Rights in India and Bangladesh: A Comparative Study (2023), Paper presentation in XLVI Indian Social Science Congress (27-31 January, 2023), jointly organised by Indian Social Science Academy and Bharathidasan University, based on my field study in India and Bangladesh, 28th January, 2023.
  • Muslim Women and Personal Law: Voices in Women’s Movements in India and Bangladesh (2022), Paper presentation in International Web Symposium, organised by International Society of Bengal Studies, Bangabidya & School of Women’s Studies, Jadavpur University; Department of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar University; Department of Sociology and Gender Studies, Central Women’s University, Dhaka, 1st April, 2022.
  • A Comparative Analysis of Muslim Women (in India) and Hindu Women’s (in Bangladesh) Property Rights and Entitlements (2020), Paper presentation in Exclusive Webinar, organised by South Kolkata Society for Empowerment of Women (SKSEW), based on my field study in India and Bangladesh, 06th June, 2020.
  • Questioning the Legal and Gender Paradigms: Minority Voices in Women’s Movements in India (2020), Paper presentation in XVI National Conference on Women’s Studies, organised by Indian Association for Women’s Studies, 28th – 31st January 2020, National Law University, Delhi, 30th January, 2020.
  • Gender Relations in JNU (2017), Paper presentation on my field study on Gender Equality and Relations within the Campus, in the course work Women’s Movements and Gender Studies (WS 401), Centre for Women’s Studies (CWS), School of Social Science I, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
  • Women and Water (2007), Paper presented at the National Workshop/Training Program on Women and Water, on 4th June-8th June, 2007 at Shri Bhuvneshwari Mahila Ashram (SBMA), Anjanisain, Uttarakhand, organised by All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF).
  • Status of Boda Women in India (2006), Paper presentation on my field study of the Social Position of the Boda Women in the Villages of Udaipur, Rajasthan, in the course work Research Methodology, Centre for Political Studies (CPS), School of Social Science II, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
  • Devi, Maitree (Upcoming), “Muslim Women and Personal Law: Voices in Women’s Movements in India and Bangladesh”, International Society of Bengal Studies, Bangabidya, ISSN: 2277-7717.
  • Devi, Maitree (2023), “Minority Community Women’s Struggles against Gender Unjust Religious Personal Laws in India and Bangladesh”, South Asian Women and International Relations, Ojha, Abhiruchi and Pramod Jaiswal (eds.), Palgrave, Macmillan, ISBN: 978-981-19-9425-8.
  • Devi, Maitree (2022), “Muslim Women’s Voices in the Debate on Personal Law in India and Bangladesh”, Prajna: Journal of Oriental Cultures, Volume. 3, N.4: 18-41, Jan/Jun, ISSN: 2675-9969, doi: https://revistaprajna.com/ojs3/index.php/prajna/article/view/77/42.
  • The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Research Programme on Agricultural Markets in Bangladesh, “Shaping Inclusive Markets in Asia: Bangladesh Strategy Deck” (2021), The Economist Group, The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited, London, ISSN: 0013-0613, doi: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v6B7ztWVib-vXccTfWt3Tt7t7nlDJ4P4/edit#gid=1347718547.
  • Devi, Maitree (2020), “Minority Women and Property Rights in India and Bangladesh: A Comparative Study”, South Kolkata Society for Empowerment of Women (SKSEW), doi: http://sksew.com/welcome/singlepost/minority-women-and-property-rights-in-india-and-bangladesh:-a-comparative-study.
  • Devi, Maitree (2020), “Bangladesh against Rape and Impunity, 2020”, South Kolkata Society for Empowerment of Women (SKSEW), doi: http://sksew.com/welcome/singlepost/%E2%80%9Cbangladesh-against-rape-and-impunity%E2%80%9D-2020.
  • Devi, Maitree (2019), “A Tour to the Supreme Court”, Speaking in Tongues, Blog of Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory, School of international Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, doi: https://jnuccppt.wordpress.com/2019/06/03/a-tour-to-the-supreme-court/.
  • Devi, Maitree (2016), “Religious Studies and the Social Sciences, the Development of a Problematic Relationship-Some Comparisons of Development in the West and in India”, Module Content (Religion and Society, Module 4) for e-PG Pathshala/eGyanKosh: E-Content Creation for Postgraduate Students, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), ISSN 2454-4701, doi: http://egyankosh.ac.in//handle/123456789/54588.
  • Haksar, Nandita, John Thomas, and Maitree Devi (2007), “Manipur’s Fractured Politics: A Report on State Violence on Kuki Students in Delhi”, A Report from the Research cum Fact-Finding Team led by Nandita Haksar (Eminent Human Rights Lawyer) sent in response to Kukis Distressed by the Atrocities of United National Liberation Front (UNLF) since 2001 and by police at Jantar Mantar on 23rd March, 2007