Feminism for polarised times – The Hindu

While current debates on delimitation focus on its impact on the federal balance of power, another historic rebalancing is contingent on it — the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023. The Bill marked a watershed moment: gender equity moved from the margins of political discourse to its centre. No institution can now afford to dismiss it. Yet, this very mainstreaming has paradoxically made it harder, at times, to engage with the discourse critically.

As a woman, I often find myself on the edges of the feminist discourse. It’s not because I’m “not a feminist” in the way some young women say. But I understand that clumsily expressed discomfort. Today’s mainstream feminist discourse can feel like a minefield — demanding disclaimers and caveats before one can step in.