Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part C (2025)

This study explores the relationship between perceived gender-based microaggressions and various dimensions of psychological and personal adjustment—home, health, social, and emotional—among 400 female participants from Haryana, India. Gender microaggressions are subtle, everyday instances of sexism that can undermine mental health, emotional regulation, and well-being (Sue et al., 2007; Nadal, 2019). Descriptive statistics indicated that participants reported a moderate overall perception of micro aggressions (M = 66.02, SD = 15.98), with noticeable variability in adjustment outcomes.
Correlation analyses revealed a moderate positive correlation between perceived microaggressions and home adjustment difficulties (r = .35, p< .01), suggesting that increased experiences of gender-based microaggressions were associated with greater challenges in managing domestic roles and responsibilities. Similarly, low to moderate positive correlations were found with both health adjustment (r = .28, p< .01) and emotional adjustment (r = .27, p< .01), indicating that exposure to microaggressions may compromise both physical well-being and emotional resilience. However, the relationship between perceived microaggressions and social adjustment was non-significant (r = .09, p>.01), implying that social functioning was relatively unaffected in this context.
These findings highlight the negative psychological and personal impact of gender-based microaggressions in conservative socio-cultural environments. The study emphasizes the need for increased awareness, gender-sensitive mental health interventions, and policy-level reforms to reduce micro aggressive behavior and improve women's overall adjustment and well-being in Haryana.