South Asian Feminisms

by Ania Loomba (Editor), Ritty A. Lukose (Editor)

During the past forty years, South Asia has been the location and the focus of dynamic, important feminist scholarship and activism. In this collection of essays, prominent feminist scholars and activists build on that work to confront pressing new challenges for feminist theorizing and practice. Examining recent feminist interventions in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, they address feminist responses to religious fundamentalism and secularism; globalization, labor, and migration; militarization and state repression; public representations of sexuality; and the politics of sex work. Their essays attest to the diversity and specificity of South Asian locations and feminist concerns, while also demonstrating how feminist engagements in the region can enrich and advance feminist theorizing globally. Contributors . Flavia Agnes, Anjali Arondekar, Firdous Azim, Anannya Bhattacharjee, Laura Brueck, Angana P. Chatterji, Malathi de Alwis, Toorjo Ghose, Amina Jamal, Ratna Kapur, Lamia Karim, Ania Loomba, Ritty A. Lukose, Vasuki Nesiah, Sonali Perera, Atreyee Sen, Mrinalini Sinha, Ashwini Sukthankar

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Ania Loomba is an Indian literary scholar. She is the author of Colonialism/Postcolonialism and works as a literature professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ania Loomba received her BA (Hons.), M. A., and M. Phil. degrees from the University of Delhi, India, and her Ph. D. from the University of Sussex, UK. She researches and teaches early modern literature, histories of race and colonialism, postcolonial studies, feminist theory, and contemporary Indian literature and culture. She currently holds the Catherine Bryson Chair in the English department. She is also faculty in Comparative Literature, South Asian Studies, and Women's Studies, and her courses are regularly cross-listed with these programs.

Many of her works - such as Colonialism / Postcolonialism (1998) and Shakespeare, Race and Colonialism (2002) - engage with Shakespeare and the Renaissance Theater. Her research on the history of racism since the early modern era includes work on England's early contacts with India, the Moluccas and Turkey.

Reviews

[Sheen Pandita · Rating 5 out of 5]

The essays in the book gave me an insight into various sub movements from south asiai n today what we call feminists movements.
Today partly because of globalization, the general definition of Feminism is of the western defined movement, the book gave me a overhaul of what Feminism activism looks like in our part of the world. Through all sections of society, economical, caste, even in the right wing sections, that might on the outside seem like a place of no feminist activism has its own women wing working on bringing their rights to the forefront. Throughly enjoyed it as a read.

[jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

very informative read! appreciated learning how the intersections of gender, caste, religion, and law impact not only understandings of feminism but also how women engage in feminist movements, organizations, and discourse in south asian countries. definitely saw some similarities about how patriarchy is perpetuated by law in these countries as here in the u.s., but learned so much about the differing cultural nuances.

also, i like the structure of the book having short essays from different authors that all contribute to the larger picture of understanding feminism in bangladesh, india, pakistan, and sri lanka. the attention to how culture and historical context impact legal and sociopolitical systems of domination across these countries (despite all being in a specific geographical region) was very insightful! intersectionality came up for me so many times when reading this text and made me reflect on how systems (historically and currently) use tools to divide rather than unite.

overall, i really appreciated the ease of the book in educating me about topics such as NGOs, sexuality, sex work, labor, globalization, radical literature, and religious fundamentalism within the context of south asian feminist work. lastly: the ending of the text describing the future of feminism and calling for us to engage with post-colonial theory was very inspiring and got the gears turning in my head.