Feminism through the lens

Anandini Malhotra is a 20 year old student at Ashoka University in India studying Literature and minoring in Psychology. She says "Photography is one of the many things I'm passionate about. Reading and writing about women's literature has always caught my attention and many times the two overlap for me."

In the below photo series, Anandini attempts to capture her subjects' ideas on feminism. The captions below each photo further describe her subjects' thoughts.

“Feminism is a movement bringing the sun out.” -Maya Roy Chakravarti

“I am the feminist I am because of the men around me, both threatening and supporting me” - Tessa D’souza

"For me, feminism is complicated. Sometimes I hesitate to call myself a feminist, because its easy to label yourself, but difficult to actually act. The term ‘feminist’ isn’t so simple anymore; there are nuances which aren’t always easy to grasp. Growing up as a male, feminism often felt like a ‘walled garden’ movement. But introduction to different perspectives in college has made me a little more aware – and a little more comfortable in understanding how to act upon these nuances." -Samarth Menon

"I was raised by a single mom. To me, feminism has always meant doing what only the men are expected to do and being completely comfortable doing it. From the passport office to the electricity department, from fixing the plumbing to chopping down a tree that interferes with the flower bed – I have watched my mum do everything with ease and grace. How many men does it take to change a lightbulb? None." - Gaia Maheshwari

EQUALITY

HUMANITY

JUSTICE -Aryaman Singh

"Feminism definitely has a reflective process for me. It has been a system of thought that I have been interpolated into and rightly because it has convulsed with my discourse around identity especially a queer one. Fem shaming is a real issue amongst men gay or straight. It goes on to say that the qualities of a woman are disempowering. It took me a lot of time to break this narrative in my head and feel empowered in my own skin. I feel we all need to be feminists not only because it champions equality but also because it teaches us about the integrity of our character. We need to understand that an oppressive structure benefits no one and in order to change we need to appreciate differences in and around us." -Mayookh Barua