By Devanshi Vaid and Rachita Vora
Not long ago, we had a chance to interview developmental feminist, activist, poet, author, and social scientist, Kamla Bhasin and while it was every bit as insightful and inspiring as we had imagined, it was also a lot of fun.
We’ve never seen someone break down activism, feminism, and patriarchy in a way that is both serious and funny at the same time. Here are some of our favourite snippets from the conversation.
1. On listening to the communities you work with | 1 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2mbw8MY6Sc
2. On the importance of being a part of the larger movement | 30 secs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao8bwgX6mek
3. On feminism | 1.5 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIhA6H_tQQY
4. On why popular notions of beauty don’t help anyone | 45 secs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMHCtTxT4Hs
5. On Bollywood lyrics | 1 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuOvq5dvBlQ
6. On gender as perspective, not a subject | 45 secs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OmT2Ek53Xk
7. On the T.I.N.A. syndrome | 1 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0txD4OLopKw
8. On starting to create change in our homes | 1 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k37dCStY8XY
9. On dismantling the patriarchy | 30 secs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmwVNC9zFBU
If you’d like to more about our conversation, you can read it here.
This article was originally published in India Development Review. You can view it here.
About the authors:
Devanshi Vaid: Devanshi is the Co-founder and Director at IDR. Prior to this, she worked at Dasra, a strategic philanthropy foundation. As a part of the advisory research team, she conceptualised, planned and implemented their first comprehensive dissemination strategy. She was responsible for new media partnerships and was closely involved with the organisation’s efforts on digital content. Prior to Dasra, Devanshi was a news producer at Times Now, where she co-produced- The Newshour, the country’s leading prime time show. She holds a BA in English Literature from Bryn Mawr College.
Rachita Vora: Rachita is the Co-founder and Director at IDR. Before this, she led the Dasra Girl Alliance, a ₹250 crore multi-stakeholder platform that sought to empower adolescent girls in India. She has a decade of experience and has spent the past eight years working in the areas of financial inclusion, livelihoods and public health. She has led functions across strategy, business development, communications and partnerships, and her writings have been featured in the Guardian, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Next Billion and Alliance Magazine. Rachita has an MBA from Judge Business School at Cambridge University and a BA in History from Yale University.