We all are familiar with the ‘F’ word today. I am talking about feminism, obviously! So...
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Feminism is an idea, a movement, a structure started by the women in our society, prominently from 174 years long. Along with the passing years, the definition and the aim of feminism kept changing and we today need to understand intersectionality and feminism together. The fight was first about equality between men and women, now the fight stands to vanish the discrimination of hierarchies, of social structures like gender, caste, race, ethnicity, sexuality, ability and class. So, unfortunately equality can’t be achieved just by smashing patriarchy. When it comes to the section of gender, there are various hierarchies like- we will quite generally solve the social status of cisgender women first, and then the transgender’s. Consider caste in it- a transgender dalit women who wants to get married to a heterosexual man, but that wouldn’t be accepted at all. Writing that made me wonder how difficult it would be for a dalit to even express their sexuality and gender, if those are beyond the so called acceptable two genders.
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Intersectional feminism states that women’s oppression, or for that matter any person’s oppression is a result of many aspects of her identity which can’t be separated by each other as they function together to create both, their oppression and liberation (unfortunately, even today). So we need to fight all social systems to create equality and justice. These systems cannot control one’s individuality and judge on the basis of it. A disable woman is pitied upon, and thought as someone who is less worthy in life, and “needs” to be protected in a way they don’t ask for. Forced sterilization is a reality in India despite of the laws. Non-consensual acts are so hard to be acknowledged and justified in courts generally, how difficult would it be for people with marginalized sections. Taking the highlighted Nirbhaya case, where the media and the whole country protested for it, why haven’t we seen the same for the dalit girl, Manisha valmiki who was as brutally raped as Nirbhaya was by four upper class men. Have we seen the same outrage? Why? Because caste had made this insensitive difference. There is a need to look through the intersectional lens when people with privileges say we have reached equality and women are heard everywhere. Hearing or visibility is not enough. Fighting and intending conversations through intersectional lens is the next step.