Food Preparation and Women Identity: An Ethnographic Study of the Muslim Women in Kerala

Preparation of food and related activities are always related to women across the globe irrespective of caste, class, religion, and region. This paper is based on an ethnographic study of four districts of the Malabar region of Kerala - Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasaragod - and used participant observation and semi-structured interviews to achieve the objectives of the study. In general, the Kerala development model showcases solid social indicators compared to the rest of the country. Despite all these achievements in different development indicators, women's employment rate is significantly less in the state and thus placed at as low as 27th position among the states in India. Hence, there is a considerable gap between women's educated and skilled employment rates. This paper discusses the influential literature and narration of respondents from the ethnographic field on the gendering of food preparation by looking at the participation in both public and private spheres. And various perspectives of food preparation and the transition of women's identity among the highly literate, patriarchal Muslim communities in Kerala. Further, this paper also tries to understand how a new identity like "entrepreneurs identity" helps upgrade the women's status in a mediated patriarchal society.