Intersectional Feminism—Desi Style!

“Intersectional Feminism—Desi Style!” emerges as a groundbreaking platform that centers South Asian feminist experiences while engaging with global feminist movements. Produced by Feminism In India and hosted by Sukanya Shaji and Shriya Roy, this podcast represents a crucial intervention in feminist media by prioritizing voices and perspectives that are often marginalized within mainstream Western feminist discourse. The show’s commitment to intersectionality isn’t merely theoretical—it’s embedded in every aspect of its approach, from guest selection to topic exploration.

Decolonizing Feminist Discourse

The podcast’s greatest strength lies in its commitment to decolonizing feminist conversations. Rather than simply applying Western feminist frameworks to South Asian contexts, the hosts consistently work to center indigenous feminist traditions, local knowledge systems, and contextually specific struggles. This approach acknowledges that while patriarchy operates globally, its manifestations and the strategies needed to combat it vary significantly across cultural and geographical contexts.

Pornography, Sex Work, and Decolonial Sexuality

The conversation with Kali Sudhra, director of “The Saree Shop,” exemplifies the podcast’s willingness to engage with complex and controversial topics through an intersectional lens. Sudhra’s work challenges both Western pornographic representations and conservative South Asian attitudes toward sexuality, creating space for discussions about consensual, culturally informed sexual expression. These conversations reveal how mainstream pornography often exoticizes South Asian women while traditional cultural frameworks may deny their sexual agency entirely.

Entrepreneurship and Gender Platform Challenges

Through interviews with Shaili Chopra, founder of SheThePeople TV, the podcast examines the unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs creating feminist media platforms. Chopra’s experiences illuminate how women building feminist businesses must navigate not only market challenges but also cultural skepticism about women’s leadership capabilities. The conversation reveals the isolation experienced by women creating platforms for other women, particularly in contexts where such work is seen as threatening to traditional social hierarchies.

STEM Fields and Queer Scientist Experiences

The interview with Dr. A Mani, a researcher in logic and rough set theory, provides crucial insight into the experiences of women and queer scientists in STEM fields within South Asian contexts. Dr. Mani’s work represents the intersection of multiple marginalized identities—being both a woman and queer in scientific fields that remain heavily male-dominated and heteronormative. These conversations reveal how identity-based discrimination operates within supposedly objective scientific environments.

Political Participation and Intersectional Challenges

The conversation with Kshama Sawant, Seattle City Council member, offers a unique perspective on how South Asian women navigate political spaces while confronting both caste and racial discrimination. Sawant’s experiences as a socialist politician demonstrate how feminist political engagement must address economic inequality alongside gender-based oppression. Her insights reveal the complexity of representing marginalized communities while working within systems that often reproduce the very inequalities they claim to address.

Media Representation and Public Exposure

Through interviews with Mitali Mukherjee, Director at Reuters Institute, the podcast examines how women journalists face particular challenges related to public exposure and media bias. These conversations reveal how South Asian women in media must navigate cultural expectations about women’s public visibility while maintaining professional credibility. The analysis extends beyond individual experiences to examine systemic barriers within media institutions.

Development Work and Queer Advocacy

The interview with Anjali Gopalan, founder of Naz Foundation, provides insight into how feminist development work intersects with LGBTQ+ advocacy in contexts where both gender equality and sexual minority rights face significant cultural and legal barriers. Gopalan’s work demonstrates how effective feminist advocacy must address multiple forms of oppression simultaneously while building coalitions across different marginalized communities.

Cultural Sensitivity and Critical Analysis

What distinguishes this podcast from many other feminist productions is its ability to maintain cultural sensitivity while engaging in sharp critical analysis. The hosts consistently demonstrate deep understanding of South Asian cultural contexts while refusing to excuse harmful practices in the name of cultural authenticity. This balance allows for conversations that are both respectful and transformative.

Intersectionality in Practice

The podcast’s approach to intersectionality goes beyond academic understanding to practical application. Each conversation demonstrates how gender intersects with caste, class, religion, sexuality, nationality, and other identity categories to create unique experiences of both oppression and resistance. This approach reveals how feminist solutions must be tailored to specific intersectional contexts rather than applying universal frameworks.

Language, Translation, and Cultural Access

Broadcasting in English while focusing on South Asian experiences, the podcast navigates complex questions about linguistic accessibility and cultural representation. The hosts’ ability to translate cultural concepts and experiences for both South Asian diaspora communities and international audiences demonstrates the importance of feminist media that can cross cultural boundaries while maintaining cultural specificity.

Community Building and Solidarity

Beyond individual interviews, the podcast serves as a platform for building solidarity among South Asian feminists across geographical boundaries. By featuring voices from both the subcontinent and diaspora communities, the show creates connections between different South Asian feminist movements while acknowledging the distinct challenges faced in different contexts.

Challenging Model Minority Myths

Through its diverse range of guests and topics, the podcast consistently challenges stereotypical representations of South Asian women as either passive victims or exceptional achievers. Instead, it presents complex portraits of women navigating multiple systems of oppression while creating innovative solutions and resistance strategies.

Educational Impact and Resource Development

The podcast serves as a crucial educational resource for understanding how feminism operates within South Asian contexts. Its combination of personal narratives and structural analysis provides valuable insight for students, researchers, and activists seeking to understand the complexity of contemporary feminist movements.

Global Feminism and Local Specificities

“Intersectional Feminism—Desi Style!” demonstrates how feminist movements can maintain global solidarity while centering local experiences and knowledge systems. The podcast’s success in building international audiences while focusing on South Asian experiences proves that feminist media doesn’t need to universalize to be globally relevant.

Conclusion

“Intersectional Feminism—Desi Style!” represents a crucial evolution in feminist podcasting, one that prioritizes intersectional analysis while remaining grounded in specific cultural contexts. Through its commitment to amplifying South Asian feminist voices and its sophisticated engagement with complex topics, the podcast has created an essential platform for understanding contemporary feminist movements beyond Western frameworks.

The show’s lasting impact lies in its demonstration that effective feminist media must center marginalized voices while building connections across differences. By creating space for conversations that are simultaneously culturally specific and globally relevant, Sukanya Shaji and Shriya Roy have established a model for feminist media that other movements and contexts can learn from and adapt. Their work proves that the future of feminism depends on its ability to embrace complexity, specificity, and intersectionality while building solidarity across differences.