5 Instagram pages that should be on your radar 

If you love spending time on Instagram, consuming content that will entertain you, educate you and offer you a new perspective, here are a few accounts that you need to follow!

Feminism in India

Japleen Pasricha, founder

Feminism In India (FII) seeks to dismantle the oppressive structures of patriarchy, caste, and heteronormativity. We do this by amplifying ‘own-voice’ narratives and lived experiences of communities that are disadvantaged by oppressive structures. We started FII in 2013 as a page on Facebook, and I curated content along with my own opinion pieces. Slowly, as the community started growing, we created a website to share people’s stories. 

The intention was to focus on representation— of women and marginalised communities. We try to magnify their stories using digital storytelling techniques and pop culture references. We believe it is crucial to set norms for women to speak freely sans any shame or judgment. 

It is imperative to not let injustice prevail. Speak up and hold each other accountable...no matter how difficult. I also think that if more men share their stories and express vulnerability, it could help forge a bond of trust and safety among members. It’s important for everyone to be involved in shaping what feminism means, because there shouldn’t be any shame in calling yourself feminist, be it a man or woman.” 

BeBadass

Nikita Dixit, Founder

“I used to work in the fashion industry, but I was never very active on social media. Once I quit my job, it gave me time to recognise all that is problematic about the fashion industry...and society. I began researching several topics, however, I could never refer to myself
as a ‘feminist’...until I equipped myself with the right knowledge. It was later that I launched BeBadass, with no real experience in social media. And even though it was a task as a one-woman army, working on this page has been a great learning experience...and a highly rewarding one, too. 

Patriarchy is so deeply ingrained in our psyche that the more we unlearn it, the more we learn how biased every single aspect of the structure is. I feel no-one is a ‘perfect’ feminist...but when we try to change individually, it has the potential to create a ripple effect. This has always been the core of feminism. At BeBadass, our aim is to make gender politics comprehensible for people who might not have the time or patience to dive into complex issues and theoretical concepts around gender. In this age of social media, it’s crucial to not only simplify stuff, but also hold people’s attention through powerful narratives. And that’s where we step in: we make complex feminist theories more accessible with our sassy take on everyday sexism. Along with that, we breakdown relevant sociopolitical world events that affect women. BeBadass aims to not just keep women informed, but also inspired through creative storytelling.” 

Period Talk

Akshika Chawade, Kuhu Badge, and Niki Murthy, Co-founders

“We believe women are stronger when they work together to dismantle stereotypes and societal norms. That’s why sisterhood is imperative to foster a community where women can seek a safe space to express their opinions, encourage peers, pursue new ideas, and offer solutions. 

We launched Period Talk India in 2019 by collaborating with some students in North India. Our mission is to dismantle the stigma and shame surrounding menstruation, while educating people about menstrual health. As there are a lot of taboos surrounding the subject, the best way to navigate people’s inhibitions is to encourage dialogue regardless of how uncomfortable it may feel. This is also why we choose to name our community Period Talk—it was a conscious effort to highlight just how vital conversation around menstruation is. 

We want to discuss experiences and challenges of menstruation regardless of gender identity, because not all women menstruate, and not all menstruators are women. By advocating a feminist point of view, that is constantly developing and expanding, we want to pull the plug on the female-centric lens through which periods are perceived. It is vital that we broaden feminism to encompass humanity as a whole, and include non-binary and non-cisgender individuals in our fight for equality. When we recognise the necessity for intersectionality, it helps steer the feminist movement forward.” 

Vitamin Stree

Maanvi, Senior Editorial Lead

“Feminism is a way of life. And it is important to present a feminist perspective on topics such as sexual pleasure, menstrual health, finance, and mental health, among others, as it helps educate people about a woman’s point of view. One of the most vital aspects of feminism that has stayed with me is that the ‘personal is political’. People might assume that being well-versed in the movement makes one a feminist. But really, it is all about the little acts. There is excellent literature out there, but I truly admire people who uphold the principles of equality and justice in their everyday lives and work towards making the world a better place. Feminism, ultimately, comes down to breaking down patriarchal norms that aim to control women and promote hatred towards them. When we start recognising women and their experiences with empathy, we create a community that is built on sisterhood, trust, and joy.” 

That Desi Feminist

“One of the most pivotal moments in my life was when a close friend of mine was pregnant while in the middle of a divorce. Her family didn’t support her decision to part with her husband, and eventually, she had to get an abortion. Post which she moved to Dubai. 

Her story nudged me to launch That Desi Feminist. To me, feminism is like common sense. It is the belief that women have the same political, social, and economic rights as men. However, the term ‘equal’ doesn’t imply that they mean the same thing. The idea that men and women are equal does not negate the evidence of differences between them, rather it states that these differences should not result in unequal treatment along with access to opportunities in society. While most try to make sense of this, thankfully, feminism as a movement has evolved and become intersectional. This was long due because one of the goals of this movement is to break the gender binary. 

At That Desi Feminist, we strive to push for change one post at a time. We use the power of social media to reach as many people as possible. All the content that we produce is aimed towards educating people and creating awareness about equality, marginalised communities, and breaking stereotypes, especially in the South Asian community.