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A review by shorshewitch
Seeing Like a Feminist by Nivedita Menon
5.0
Naarivad behna, dheere dheere aayi!
"Feminism is not about that moment of final triumph, but about the gradual transformation of the social field so decisively that old markers shift forever. This shift is what "enables" many young women today to say, "I believe in equal rights for women, but I'm not a (shudder) feminist.""
For the longest time, I had hesitated to call myself a "feminist". Because when you own this tag, you immediately are assumed to be a "man-hater", "a feminazi", "a pretender" etc. Not to mention labels like "slut", "whore", "kulta", "chinaal" etc.
Then one day I realized I do not really have to give a damn to what people think. I wear my lipstick and yet I am a feminist. I have some dear darling male friends whom I adore, so obviously I am not a man-hater and yet I am feminist. I do not even have to start about "feminazi" because for whoever coined that word must have been a major misogynist, else who thinks that standing up for equal rights is equal to gassing millions of Jews. The word in itself is sick and terrible.
Anyway, the point of discussion in this book is exactly this.
I cannot boast to have read tonnes of feminist texts so far (though all of them are on my list and I do not cease educating myself), but from whatever I have read, I think Nivedita Menon's "Seeing Like a Feminist" is the most comprehensive, lucid and exhaustive book which deals with Feminism in India specifically with utmost justice.
The book discusses some consequential real life cases to elucidate on the hows and whys of feminism. The topics range from division of labor within sexes, marriage, issues of the LGBTQ community, ethical issues revolving around pornography, sex work and abortion, rape - marital and otherwise, Armed Forces (Special) Protection Act [AFSPA], domestic violence, the notions of physical labor in view of capitalism and feudalism, the impact of caste based discrimination, the nuances of the words like "choice", "freedom", "agency", "body", "objectification", "commodification" etc.
The notes have been painstakingly made from various court-cases, thesis material and newspaper articles and the stories have been narrated with utmost sincerity. It speaks good deal in depth about how "feminism" as a concept and as a movement has to keep evolving with its times and how important it is to ensure that it doesn't ever stop. The class dominance and its vital role in forming the choices of individuals is also argued upon.
Some passages are enlightening to someone who has just ventured into the arena. Some passages gross you out because the condition of women since ages is cringe-worthy. Although things have changed now, it doesn't mean the movement needs to stop. The times are still raw and women have to still call their basic rights, their "privileges". This needs to be addressed. But there is no one way to be a feminist. There are several and it all boils down to one thing - choice. We, as feminists, can perhaps try and work around the conditions in which these choices are made, to make the system more liberating but there will never be a defined way to do it.
I would earnestly recommend this book to anyone who needs to understand what "feminism" really stands for. Which means I basically recommend it to everyone. Because we should all be feminists.
"Feminism is not about that moment of final triumph, but about the gradual transformation of the social field so decisively that old markers shift forever. This shift is what "enables" many young women today to say, "I believe in equal rights for women, but I'm not a (shudder) feminist.""
For the longest time, I had hesitated to call myself a "feminist". Because when you own this tag, you immediately are assumed to be a "man-hater", "a feminazi", "a pretender" etc. Not to mention labels like "slut", "whore", "kulta", "chinaal" etc.
Then one day I realized I do not really have to give a damn to what people think. I wear my lipstick and yet I am a feminist. I have some dear darling male friends whom I adore, so obviously I am not a man-hater and yet I am feminist. I do not even have to start about "feminazi" because for whoever coined that word must have been a major misogynist, else who thinks that standing up for equal rights is equal to gassing millions of Jews. The word in itself is sick and terrible.
Anyway, the point of discussion in this book is exactly this.
I cannot boast to have read tonnes of feminist texts so far (though all of them are on my list and I do not cease educating myself), but from whatever I have read, I think Nivedita Menon's "Seeing Like a Feminist" is the most comprehensive, lucid and exhaustive book which deals with Feminism in India specifically with utmost justice.
The book discusses some consequential real life cases to elucidate on the hows and whys of feminism. The topics range from division of labor within sexes, marriage, issues of the LGBTQ community, ethical issues revolving around pornography, sex work and abortion, rape - marital and otherwise, Armed Forces (Special) Protection Act [AFSPA], domestic violence, the notions of physical labor in view of capitalism and feudalism, the impact of caste based discrimination, the nuances of the words like "choice", "freedom", "agency", "body", "objectification", "commodification" etc.
The notes have been painstakingly made from various court-cases, thesis material and newspaper articles and the stories have been narrated with utmost sincerity. It speaks good deal in depth about how "feminism" as a concept and as a movement has to keep evolving with its times and how important it is to ensure that it doesn't ever stop. The class dominance and its vital role in forming the choices of individuals is also argued upon.
Some passages are enlightening to someone who has just ventured into the arena. Some passages gross you out because the condition of women since ages is cringe-worthy. Although things have changed now, it doesn't mean the movement needs to stop. The times are still raw and women have to still call their basic rights, their "privileges". This needs to be addressed. But there is no one way to be a feminist. There are several and it all boils down to one thing - choice. We, as feminists, can perhaps try and work around the conditions in which these choices are made, to make the system more liberating but there will never be a defined way to do it.
I would earnestly recommend this book to anyone who needs to understand what "feminism" really stands for. Which means I basically recommend it to everyone. Because we should all be feminists.