Every time I read about feminist activism in India I can't help but start to get really excited and want to jump up and down and point and say, loooook, look what they are doing! But you can't really help it when a group of women get together in pink saris, call themselves a gang and fight against injustices done to their communities.
Meet the Gulabi gang, via BBC.
The pink women of Banda shun political parties and NGOs because, in the words of their feisty leader, Sampat Pal Devi, "they are always looking for kickbacks when they offer to fund us".Two years after they gave themselves a name and an attire, the pink women have thrashed men who have abandoned or beaten their wives and unearthed corruption in the distribution of food grains for the poor.
They have also stormed a police station and thrashed a policeman after they took in an untouchable man and refused to register a case.
Now I will say the story itself is alright, but it is always a little annoying when reporters put in their sexist, infantilizing two cents. I mean I was willing to look over the fact that they called the leader "feisty." When are aggressive men ever called feisty? But then to further qualify this tone, he goes on.
The pink sorority is not exactly a group of male-bashing feminists - they claim they have returned 11 girls who were thrown out of their homes to their spouses because "women need men to live with".That is also why men like Jai Prakash Shivhari join the "gulabi" gang and talk with remarkable alacrity about child marriages, dowry deaths, depleting water resources, farm subsidies, and how funds are being stolen in government works.
Why are women that work for the rights of other women labeled as potentially male bashing? I am going to assume as this is written in the Indian and British media that this description is greatly influenced by Western feminisms bad PR that made it overseas. Either way, amazing story.
Thanks to Katherine for the link.
OK back to my male bashing. . .
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I love how a man getting involved proves it's all okay...
Yes, this was really heartwarming when i cam across this story yesterday.
Infact, when I read about these grassroots campaigners in India- or anywhere in the third world, who accomplish so much, with the shackles imposed on them, I wonder what race they are- for human they are not, something beyond indeed. These veiled warriors.
also, why did they have to call it a "pink sorority." ok, we get it, THEY'RE LADEEEZ.
anyway, an encouraging story despite the poor reporting.
This is one of the most heartening things I have read in a long time. Thank you so much for posting it.
I have always wondered why women *don't* do this. So it is absolutely awesome to see that some of them do.
But yeah, boo on the stupid reporting. Fighting for justice = man-hating? You know, it's not *our* fault that worldwide, so many men are scumbags. I like hearing that some men have joined the women in their quest for justice because it reaffirms that yes, men are human too, not universally scum, but the notion that if there were no men present to validate the group's existence they would *have* to be an anti-male vigilante group is just bloody stupid.
Truly inspiring. It's amazing what people can do when they work together in the face of opposition.
It is awesome that they're standing up for the rights of women in a misogynistic culture but...am I the only one whose a little disturbed at the use of words like "gang," "thrashing" and "attacked"? Maybe those are just the words that the reporter chose, but I don't condone violence as a means to an end.
Normally I wouldn't advocate violence as a means to an end either, but I think there are some cases in which that's necessary. Considering that (from what I've read) corruption in India's power structures is so widespread it's considered normal -- common wisdom is that the best way to get something done is to bribe an official -- I can see how vigilantism could be part of the solution.
"But yeah, boo on the stupid reporting. Fighting for justice = man-hating?"
The article writer seemed to be specifically *not* calling them male-bashers and wanted to make sure the readers got that point too (in case they didn't already get it from the "They have also stormed a police station and attacked a policeman after they took in an untouchable man and refused to register a case" part).
Thene, I agree with you. It's all ok once men are involved. We do need their stamp of approval!
It's the writing that's at fault here of course - men DO need to be involved in feminist action, or at least to engage with it. But to imply that these women are not male-bashing or feminists because men are involved - well, it's nonsense for a start...
Also: women = pink, angry about domestic violence only(ok, and untouchables)
Men = oh, all sorts of things, the environment, corruption... they have a much wider perspective. Of course.
I also object to the idea that the women are not feminists because they return women who have been thrown out of their homes ... with no mention at all of the potential context of being thrown out (the involvement of extended families, not just husbands, the increased vulnerability of women outside marriage, honour killings etc etc) or any acknowledgement that there are different feminisms.
Ah well. It seems a shame that in Gandhi's country it is no longer feasible to enact change through peaceful process, but so be it.