India, May 3 -- When societies are organised around absolutist narratives, religious, nationalist, sectarian, or militarized, the autonomy of women is among the first casualties and among the last priorities of reform.

The condition of women in societies shaped by extremist or theocratic pressures is often misunderstood through two flawed lenses. One treats women as humanitarian symbols of suffering, inviting pity without understanding. The other uses women's rights selectively for geopolitical agendas. Neither captures the deeper truth: in conflict-ridden or ideologically rigid societies, control over women becomes central to how coercive orders sustain themselves.

Kashmir, Pakistan, and Afghanistan differ in history, institutions, and...