Rural Women Unite to End Discrimination against Widows
An unjust aspect of rural society in India that often goes unnoticed is the discrimination faced by widows. Although as far as the legal position is concerned they have completely…
Patriarchy
Towards a Comprehensive, Inclusive, Feminist Code
This is Part 2 of the Article on the UCC. This is part 2. Part 1 can be accessed here. For the original detail research, please see here. Considering that…
Towards an Inclusive Gender Just Code in India: Women’s Rights are Non-Negotiable
This article on the UCC is divided in two parts. This is part 1. For the original detailed work by this author, please see here. The Common Civil Code (the…
Digital Jingoism and the Gendered Economy of Hate: Unveiling Islamophobic Patriarchy in India
Following the Pahalgam attack, there has been an increase in online calls for sexual violence against Kashmiri Muslim women, demonstrating the pervasiveness of Islamophobic patriarchy and hyper-nationalist jingoism in India’s…
Why Men Should Shut Up About the Burdens of Masculinity
Patriarchy has started a new PR campaign – rebranding the male jailors as emotionally wounded inmates. In The Indian Express, for instance, Shraddha Upadhyay declares that while “masculinity poses an…
The Hetero-Patriarchal Panic of India’s Minority Communalists
In 2024, the Supreme Court of India noted that what is primary in the determination of the minority character of an institution is not the “existence of a religious place…
Misogynist and Patriarchal Judgments on Crimes Against Women and Children
A Press Conference was held today by the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) at the Press Club of India, New Delhi on the recent trend of anti-women and anti-children…
Sexual Violence and Government Response in West Bengal under Mamata Banerjee’s Leadership
“Rape cases are on the rise because boys and girls interact more freely now. Earlier, if men and women held hands, they would be caught and reprimanded by parents, but…
National Federation of Indian Women Condemns Allahabad High Court Judgment
The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) expresses its deep shock and strongly condemns the recent judgment of the Allahabad High Court, dated March 19, delivered by Justice Ram Manohar…
March 8- A Mirage for Women?
How much have women around the world really gained by March 8 being marked as International Women’s Day in most parts? Or it would be perhaps be better to say…
No, Equality Doesn’t Mean Separate Roles for Men and Women
The emergence of feminist politics has led to a patriarchal counter-revolution that pays lip-service to “equality” while insisting that women and men should occupy different, separate places in society. In…
“Khamosh Cheek”: A Women’s Day Call to Protect and Empower the Girl Child
In an era dominated by structured schedules, digital screens, and urban expansion, we need to preserve the idea of street play—in public spaces more enthusiastically—as nowadays it has become a…
Women Must Get Equal Rights
International Women's Day is celebrated on 8 March across the world as a day for women's rights. In many countries, a public holiday is given on this day and women…
Freedom for women!
International Women's Day is celebrated today. But have women really been liberated? I myself am from the great Maharashtra of Jyotiba Phule and Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar. I was born…
Reflections on International Women’s Day
8th March is celebrated every year as International Women's Day. I fully support women's demand for equality, and I have given my reasons in my articles, given Here and Here.…
Democracy, Citizenship, and Political Participation of Indian Women: Past, Present, and Future
Indian women have played a key role in the nation’s political landscape since pre-colonial times. They contributed immensely to the freedom struggle and played a crucial role in shaping the…
Women’s Day and the Market Economy
With a lot of excitement, my daughter approached me to inform me that some of the apps on her phone were offering fantastic deals on various items in observance of…
Breaking the Silence: Legal Reform and the Recognition of Marital Rape
by Shreya Singh and Saiba Aggarwal Introduction: The Legal and Social Implications of Marital Rape “If he who breaks the law is not punished, he who obeys it is cheated.…
Navigating Sexual Autonomy Within the Institution of Marriage
“Violence against women in all its forms is a human rights violation. It’s not something that any culture, religion or tradition propagates.” -Michelle Bachelet[1] The Supreme Court of India is…
Concerns arising from the suicide of Atul Subhash: A feminist response
The tragic suicides of Atul Subhash and police constable, Tippanna Alagur in Karnataka have once again given rise to volatile debates on the ‘misuse’ of the laws related to gender…
Taliban, Women’s Equality and Hindutva Nationalism
Tavleen Singh is a well known columnist. In a recent column (Religiosity is sick, not Secularism, I.E. 8 December 2024) writes about the barring the women studying medicine in Afghanistan.…
Luring a Man, Sexual Coercion, and the Patriarchal Narratives
There are thousands of self-help books, articles, and social media pages that promise to reveal the secrets to luring different types of people—whether it's a romantic partner, employees, employers, or…
Menstruation and Society: Unveiling Discrimination, Utopian Visions, and Media’s Role
The literary work of Rokeya Sakhawat Begum, namely "Sultana's Dream[1]," can be interpreted as a utopian endeavour aimed at conceptualizing a feminist society referred to as "Ladyland." This envisioned civilization…
Yes, All Men and Women Who Stay Silent Perpetuate the Culture of Violence with Impunity
Recently, there was a debate on social media regarding `#Not All Men’. This phrase is popularized online by mostly the Men’s Rights Activists (MRAs) to depict that not all men…
Tinderised Relationships and Uberised Families under Capitalism
Family is celebrated as an institution worldwide, transcending cultural, religious, social, and territorial boundaries. From slave societies to feudalism, and from the mercantile and industrial revolutions to the capitalist digital…
Israel’s War of Genocide and the Way American Voters Perceive It
On October 8, 2023, Israel invaded Gaza Strip in retaliation to Palestinian Hamas's attack on occupied lands the day before. Israelis have since brutally massacred Palestinians and, more recently, the…
On sisters and personal reflection
This message now reaches over 60,000 individuals directly and many more by forwards. They are mostly activists (perhaps 75-80%), 15-20% spectators and “neutral” people (journalists etc), and perhaps 400 Zionists…
How long will women are going to fight in the trenches?
All kinds of things keep me up at night like a nocturnal owl. It has been happening more and more in the last couple of years. Last night was one…
Disentangling Khap Preeminence: A Feminist Critique
by Syed Wajahat Ali & Zuberiya Nauman “ women’s freedom is the sign of social freedom” ~ Rosa Luxemburg Abstract Women have to go through a life and…
Treat a woman; a human!
Dhoom Forever? Boyssss and Wolves. (Where does the remedy lie?) Treat a woman; a human! How do you feel when you read a Rape Report? Do you check for religion?…
The Patriarchal Politics of Security
On August 9, 2024, a female doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata, was brutally raped and murdered in a seminar room on the fourth floor, where she had gone to rest…
On Desire, Power & Ethics: What RG Kar Rape Victim’s Name Going Viral On Google Tells Us About Our Society’s Moral Position on Women?
by Azmat Sadiq & Gunjan Das In the wake of nationwide protests over the brutal rape and murder of a resident doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata, there…
The Patriarchal War on Indian Women
On August 9, 2024, a female doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata, was brutally raped and murdered in a seminar room on the fourth floor, where she had gone to rest…
Who should Jaya (Bhaduri) Bachchan be?
Very recently, I watched the Bachchan vs Dhankhar showdown during a Rajya Sabha session. The treatment of Jaya Bachchan, an actor turned politician since 2012, and a 5th time elected…
Roots of Rape
The World Population Review's Rape Statistics by Country (2024) highlights the widespread scope and severity of issues of rape and sexual violence against women, revealing the alarming frequency and nature…
Israeli soldiers demolish water system in Gaza
The Israeli daily Haaretz reported Monday that over the weekend, in violation of humanitarian law, a unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the 401st Brigade of the Armored Corps, rigged a critical…
Feminists in Resistance condemns the shamefully misogynistic, terrifying, discriminatory, regressive attitude of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
Mr Ranjeet Kumar AgarwalPresidentInstitute of Chartered Accounts of IndiaICAI Bhawan, New Delhi 700 002 Subject: Feminists in Resistance (FIR) condemns the shamefully misogynistic, terrifying, discriminatory, regressive attitude of the Institute…
The Main Question of Patriarchy: Can Men be Raped?
It was not many years ago that social media was flooded with images of young men across the country taking out micro-protests, threatening to go on what they called “marriage…
Are Dalits Descendants of Asuras? A Reflection on Student Politics and Asura Discourse
No concept should be accepted as axiomatic without undergoing rigorous intellectual debate. One such notion for debate is the elevation of mythological figures like Ravana and Hiranyakasyapa (Hiranyakashipu) as cultural…
Controversy at Kolkata’s ICAI International Conference
If an individual wishes to avoid contact with persons of the female gender, he is at liberty to do so, in his personal, private spaces. However, such a person insisting…
How Women Were Publicly Humiliated in a Programme in India and Nobody Protested
Israel's unending war against Palestine - with due support from the Western World - is widely known. Less known is the fact that representatives of extreme patriarchal Judaism have unleashed…
Be-Loved – Celebrating Pride Month through Theatre
In the scorching heat of June 2024, I, along with a lesbian couple, have been shuttling from police station to police station, all in an effort to protect their fundamental…
From Subordination to Partnership: Reinterpreting the Impact of Eve’s Creation
Why Are Misogyny and Patriarchy Universal Phenomena? A significant thread of Western culture, in which we currently live, can be traced back to Ancient Greece. From there, it was transmitted…
Working Women And Empowerment
My Facebook acquaintance recently posted photos of delivered dishes along with the remark, "Seems like women are getting more educated." I became agitated upon realizing that this was directed towards…
Blame Her
From dawn till dusk, and dusk till dawn, she toils within the confines of an unjust patriarchal framework as a grandmother, mother, sister, lover, girlfriend, wife, partner, professional, worker and…
Gender Justice is Very Important Everywhere, but must be Rooted in Local Culture—Not Imposed by the West
Gender justice and equality are very important for humanity’s progress. This is now widely recognized and rightly so. However what needs to be questioned are the claims of the west…
Challenging Heteropatriarchy
Like any other popular movement, the radical message of feminist liberation is always at risk of being diluted by dominant ideologies. In the current conjuncture of neo-fascist resurgence, such dilution…
Combat Patriarchal Mindset at AMU!
The ascendancy of Hindu nationalism in India has led to the sharp demarcation of religio-communitarian boundaries. In response to communal attacks on Islamic identity, the Muslim gentry has reinforced a…
The Political Logic of Militant Feminism
On February 3, 2024, Rishika Singh wrote a report for Indian Express entitled “Indian men are facing a loneliness epidemic and we’re not talking about it enough”. The very title…
Single, but not alone! National Consultation on Single Women
A 3-day consultation on Single Women was organised by Jagori at the India International Centre from 26th- 28th February 2024 in New Delhi with the objectives of refocusing the spotlight…
Story of Atashi… and many more like her
A lot of the news nowadays covers stories of abominable crimes surfacing in a remote rural pocket of West Bengal. While looking at some of them on television, I often…
Feminism(s): Everyday Encounter of its Ideas
Since the past few months, I have been compelled to rethink feminism and why it matters today. The sets of events in the recent past make me encounter these thoughts.…
Why Is Social Media Choked With Misogyny And Homophobia?
Misogyny, homophobia, and transphobic rhetoric are everywhere on the internet today. This is part of a broader rightwing ascendancy and the strengthening of exclusionary ideologies all across the world. YouTube…
A Letter to Pranshu
Dear Pranshu, I didn’t know you before your suicide on November 21, 2023. I saw your Diwali reel in which you wore a saree – you looked beautiful. I don’t…
Intersectional Feminism: An Insight
Intersectionality Theory was first developed in 1970-80 by a group of African-American feminist activists who accused the women’s movement of abandoning Black women. Discriminatory evils like racism and sexism aren’t…
Marriage Equality Judgment not on constitutional morality: “Disappointing, But the fight will go on ….” – PUCL
The PUCL expresses its deep disappointment with respect to the verdict of the Supreme Court in `Supriyo v Union of India’ denying the right to marry to the LGBTQI community.…
Same-sex marriage judgement by Supreme Court – A Damp Squib
While rejecting the prayer for same-sex marriage the Supreme Court of India through its judgements made the following points: This Supreme Court judgement on same-sex marriage does not change the…
Feminism, Patriarchy & Equal Marriage Rights for LGBTQ – A Personal Dilemma
The Supreme Court of India is likely to pronounce judgement on the same-sex marriage petitions this week on or before 20th October 2023 as one of the judges on the…
International Day of Girl Child and 101 other measures that do not support Women
"Girls have outperformed boys, once again!" flashes on social media and news channels, all across Jammu and Kashmir after the result of 10th and 12th grade examinations was announced in…
Combating Everyday Gender Stereotypes in the Courtrooms
The Supreme Court of India recently published a Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes[2], which highlights how gender-unjust terms are used in pleadings, orders, and judgements to reiterate common stereotypes about…
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