Gender Equity & Intersectionality

 Though the theoretical and empirical constitution of intersectional feminism in India dates back to the 1990s with the critical contributions of scholars like Sharmila Rege and narrativization of life by women like Bama and Ruth Manorama who belong to marginalised sections of society, the knowledge formation triggered by this theoretical frame continues to be reductive in its approach. It is definitely important to give due attention to the different social vectors like caste, class, religion and so on that together shape experiences of women belonging to marginalised sections. However, in this endeavour to improve the quality of life of these women, by and large, enough attention is not being given to the travails of those women who apparently belong to privileged sections of society. For instance, a highly educated woman belonging to Urban India and employed in the organised sector with a good pay package and a stable family is mostly assumed to be having an easy life compared to those belonging to the underprivileged sections. However, each woman would have her own battles to wage. Being an aspirational, career oriented wife and mother involves explaining yourselves to a whole lot of people together with trying the best not to be apologetic about professional ambitions. Family as an institution is mostly unfair as the normalised expectation is for the mother / wife to take time off from work to do all kinds of domestic chores. The workspace is most often patriarchal that the amount of time spent by the male colleagues at the office is regarded as the norm you have to live up to. Moreover, the number of years women invest in maternity related concerns till the kids are at least around 10 years of age is a huge drag on one’s career. The idea of gender equity is never accounted for in placements and promotions under the excuse that there are many women out there having a tougher time being jobless or struggling in the unorganised sector. Furthermore, as women employed in the organised sector enjoy pay parity with men, equality takes over equity. For true gender sensitivity, intersectional feminism must address the unique challenges faced by women from all walks of life, contextualizing each issue within its specific social and cultural ecosystem.