Cultural Collaborative Ways of Knowing, Doing, Valuing and Becoming: A ‘Pandheri Guff’ Inquiry of Nepali Women Scholars

Abstract

In Nepal, women are facing challenges in academia due to gender biases and limited opportunities. This article explores the experiences of Nepali women scholars who are redefining traditional knowledge, which is typically confined to textbooks, notes, and lectures. These critical issues are often ignored in academic settings. However, women academicians can overcome these barriers by collaborating, reflecting on their experiences, and seeking innovative solutions. To this end, the authors introduce Pandheri Guff, a traditional Nepali method for discussing and addressing such issues. Subscribing Pandheri Guff as a method, the authors engaged in a cultural Nepali collaborative inquiry, combining their narratives to create meaning. Their virtual weekly meetings, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on reflections about class participation, assignments, and learning experiences over two months by documenting their insights in Google Docs. The analysis is categorized into four themes: believing, meditative, doubting, and dismantling ways of knowing. This method fosters a judgment-free environment for sharing experiences, enhancing their learning, and empowering them to transform themselves. This article argued that this cultural approach advances understanding of women’s knowledge acquisition and enhances higher education learning by providing a collaborative and reflective space to overcome gender biases and improve learning experiences.