Cross-cultural challenges of international Women students in navigating harassment and gendered norms

Abstract

The study reported here comprises case studies of five South and southeast Asian women students studying in a central university in northern India who were interviewed purposefully to explore their individual experiences of sexual harassment and discrimination due to different gendered norms. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory was used to develop research questions investigating how social norms, interactions, and cultural contexts influence their experiences. The findings revealed that women students' racial identity and gender intersect and make those students more vulnerable to sexual harassment, as Asian women were found to be more prone to sexual harassment. In contrast, dark-skinned students are discriminated against and face harassment and ill-treatment for their dark skin. However, all students have similar issues in the context of different gendered norms. Participants expressed that living in a male-dominated society often restricts them and subjects them to rigid gender-specific expectations, limiting their ability to integrate socially or advocate for their rights.