When many people hear the word “Feminism,” they think about angry, men-hating women, waiting to devour any man who walks in. However, this is far from reality. A feminist is not always a woman, and is most definitely never a man hater. This saturation of the ideology of Feminism bothers Intesaab. That many people are unsure of what the true definition of feminism is increases the problem further. Today’s modern world seems to not understand the need for feminism as it thinks of it as ‘Femi-nazi’. But Feminism is much more than that. It is equal rights. It is equal happiness. It is equal opportunities. That is what we want to prove to our audiences through dialogue. Feminism is needed because oppression still exists in a variety of forms, and not just for women. In the words of Audre Lorde, “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” We need people to know feminism because all of our voices have immense combined power. 

We at Intesaab 2020 believe that only by discussing feminist literature and the true essence of feminism, by discussing where stems from, where its roots are, can we make people understand feminism and what it means to be a feminist and achieve our goal. We at Intesaab hope to clear the confusion between the meaning of feminism and its need in today’s world. 

We would be eternally grateful for your help in making us achieve this through dialogue. Your experiences, opinions, and presence would effectively help us create a riveting discussion at the end of which every audience member leaves with a sense of deeper understanding of the world around them, how it came to be, and feminism’s role in it.

Deepa Narayan

Dr. Narayan is the author of the ground-breaking book, Chup: Breaking The Silence About India's Women and the founder of Chup Circles. (book ). She was the Senior Adviser at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. and wrote the influential series Voices of the Poor. She has written 17 books and is the recipient of many awards, including being named as one of the 100 most influential global thinkers by Foreign Policy Magazine in the USA and as one of India's 35 Great Thinkers by India Today. Dr. Narayan spent many years living in village communities in Africa, South and East Asia. This led to her focus on 'people first.' 

Vemulapati Mrudula 

She is an Anthropologist with over 23 years of experience in Non Profit organizations. Having worked for large Government and bilateral Projects in Poverty alleviation, Livelihood development, Women empowerment, Child Protection and Quality Education in Public Schools, she demonstrated track record of successfully managing small to large projects in SBCC,

Primary Education, Health & Nutrition, WASH , Entrepreneurship development. Strong

commitment to gender equality and social inclusion.

Nandini Sultania, Founder Kamakhya Project

Having a keen interest in organising events and firmly believing in giving back to the society , she founded Koras women happiness world and Kamakhya - the plastic free mensuration campaign, which is now recognised under Startup India. In an effort to make a difference to the environment , she got a group of trainers , doctors and volunteers together and launched a kamakhya movement on 12 th January , 2020 By Hr. Smriti Irani.                                            

Ngurang Reena

Ngurang Reena is a researcher and writer from a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, from Arunachal Pradesh. She identifies herself as a feminist and a human rights & political activist. She has been vocal against racism and discrimination faced by the minorities in India, mostly towards the people of the North-Eastern region and women. 

About Intesaab 2020

Intesaab 2020, organised by the Ishan Foundation Trust, Jaipur x Mumbai, marks a new beginning where art and artists find their way to express their inhibitions. Scheduled on the 12th, 13th, and 14th of June 2020, it is India’s first virtual festival, where these three days are an amalgamation of panel discussions, talks, events, and workshops, where Intesaab shall diverge into an iconic platform for art across the nation to be rediscovered and cherished.

With the grasping clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic, we also believe in making a change in society that sustains us. Hence all proceeds from the festival shall be donated to NGOS which provide relief to the victims of the COVID-19 crisis. Thus, Intesaab 2020 is a cradle for new avenues to emanate, reorient, and unravel incredible directions that will divulge our past, mold our present, and inspire our future.

Find more about Intesaab on www.ishantrust.org

Follow us on instagram: @intesaabfest

For queries: intesaab@ishantrust.org