GIST OF PODCAST EPISODE 6:FASCINATING FEMINISM WITHOUT BORDERS — INTERSECTIONALITY MATTERS
The episode explores the concept of intersectionality and its crucial role in shaping a more inclusive and just feminist movement. Hosted by Maya and featuring sociologist Dr. Arjun Mehta, the conversation begins with a provocative question: Whose feminism are we talking about? The discussion challenges the idea that feminism can represent all women equally without acknowledging the diverse and overlapping forms of oppression that different women face.
Dr. Mehta explains that intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, is a framework for understanding how various aspects of identity—such as gender, caste, class, race, religion, sexuality, disability, and geography—intersect to create unique experiences of privilege and discrimination. He emphasizes that no woman’s experience of oppression is identical to another’s. For instance, a Dalit woman’s struggle is shaped by both caste and gender, while a queer Muslim woman faces layered forms of surveillance and silencing. Intersectionality, therefore, is not about adding identities together but about understanding how they interact to produce complex realities.
The conversation then turns to the limitations of mainstream or “one-size-fits-all” feminism. Maya and Dr. Mehta critique how dominant feminist narratives often center privileged women—those who are urban, educated, and economically secure—while sidelining the struggles of marginalized women. Issues like breaking the glass ceiling or corporate representation often overshadow more urgent concerns such as access to education, safety, healthcare, and fair wages. Dr. Mehta argues that representation without redistribution is hollow; feminism that uplifts only those already close to power risks reinforcing the very hierarchies it seeks to dismantle.
In the final segment, the discussion focuses on what intersectional feminism looks like in practice. Dr. Mehta stresses that it begins with humility—listening rather than speaking over, supporting rather than saving, and sharing space rather than occupying it. True solidarity, he says, is not about giving others a voice but about creating conditions where all voices can be heard. Maya adds that intersectional feminism requires unlearning old habits and reimagining activism, storytelling, and leadership in ways that center those most affected by injustice.
The episode concludes with a powerful reminder: feminism must be expansive or it becomes exclusionary. Equality without justice is not feminism. Both Maya and Dr. Mehta affirm that intersectionality is not a complication but a compass—guiding feminism toward inclusivity, empathy, and collective liberation.
