“Who speaks for us”: Claiming rights, protest, and gender (in)justice in South Asia

The historical narrative of South Asia centers around the pursuit of justice, marked by various forms of protest that reflect the ongoing struggle against authoritarian governance. This article explores how protest serves as a mechanism for justice while negotiating gender stereotypes, neoliberal ideals, and colonial practices by focusing on Bangladesh and Nepal, countries characterized by rapid economic growth, rising inequality, political instability, and socio-ecological crises. Drawing on interviews conducted in 2021–2024, the article examines collaboratively produced film narratives, photographs, interviews, and protocols from participant observation. Using a feminist intersectional postcolonial lens, we investigate how protest claims are reshaped and negotiated in relation to gender norms and colonial and neoliberal practices; the connections among protest, violence, intersectionality, and social inequality; and the challenges and opportunities in pursuing justice through protest. Our findings reveal that the neoliberal governance structures, colonial legacies, and patriarchal norms hinder the protesters' quests for justice. In Bangladesh, women in climate-vulnerable areas protesting for safe water access face gendered violence, yet forge solidarities with NGOs, villagers, and local authorities. In Nepal, health workers' protests over workplace injustices led to improvements in working conditions, but negotiations remain ongoing. Across both contexts, resistance is gendered, often unpaid, and framed by care work, highlighting how protest itself becomes a form of care labor. This article contributes to feminist and social justice discourses from a postcolonial, intersectional perspective.