Review By Sunaina Luthra | Rating: 5/5

In a tranquil corner of a tastefully decorated room with sunlight beaming through curtains, a heartfelt conversation unfolds in an upper middle class educated family. The conversation is between a mother and her unmarried daughter.

Daughter– Mom, has it ever drenched your soul to look into my financial security for future?

Mother- (calm but resolute) When did you start bothering about finances? Yes! You will receive what is rightfully yours in due time. We need to involve your brother too before taking these decisions.

Daughter: (incredulous) Why my brother? Is he the King of the Jungle? Our house is perhaps one with a hedgerow of unfamiliarity. 

Mother: (her tone firm, with a dismissive air) has the feminist fever swallowed you? For God’s sake, it’s a sluggish ravine you must not enter into.

Cease this ‘feminist fervor’ where did this come from?

This statement ignited the daughter’s heart and mind like a spark in a dry forest, setting off a wildfire of emotions-astonishment, indignation and a deep-seated frustration that she couldn’t extinguish. It disturbed her even more coming from her mother, a resilient and resourceful woman, who skillfully managed the household, nurtured relationships, and handled finances with remarkable expertise, all while enduring domestic abuse. Her mother’s cavalier dismissal for her desire for financial autonomy unleashed maelstroms of emotions in her. Surely, daughters like her around the world must have had their desire for financial autonomy brushed aside with casual indifference, isn’t it?

Well, if I had been at the daughter’s place, my heart would be heavy with dismay yet a fiery spark of rebellion stirring me. Will you call this rigmarole and distressed antagonism as feminism? Hard to judge, I guess!   

I first stumbled upon the terms ‘Feminism’ and ‘Feminist’ in college. Back then, I thought a feminist is a woman who adorns Spartan ‘Fab India’ kurtas (Traditional Indian attire) hanging loosely around the torso carrying a ‘Jhola’ (Handmade Satchel); her opinions stronger than coffee.  Little did I know that ‘feminism’ encompasses far more than a chic attitude and a sassy demeanor?  While I nestled warmly in my comfortable cocoon of life, I remained oblivious of the fact that women, known as feminist have battles intense issues and are still griming their own juice. The agendas usually ricochets a soporific lassitude from the non-believers; women equality, abuse, violence and gender pay- gap have whistled the blow for centuries but often they have been the freshly inked words blurred in the rain.

Scarlett Curtis captures this perfectly imperfect world in her book ‘Feminists Don’t Wear Pink’.  She is carrying this effortless chutzpah to write, “Becoming a feminist isn’t something that happens to a woman overnight”—a sentiment I deeply relate to. The book chronicles the journey of feminism, beginning with the fight for legal rights in the late 19th century, moving through the second wave’s focus on workplace equality and reproductive rights, and the third wave’s push for intersectionality in the 1990s. It then explores the rise of digital activism today, tackling issues like sexual harassment and representation.

This powerful anthropology brings together voices of women from diverse group of celebrities and activists each offering their personal interpretation of what ‘feminism’ means to them.  Every woman in the book from Hollywood actresses like Emma Watson, Keira Knightley, Amy Trigg, Lydia Wilson, and Helen Fielding share their unique connection with the movement.

The book delves into personal struggles from gender inequality in the film industry, body image to female genital mutilation. The personal struggles and opinions are relatable and highlight the sense of community and solidarity that feminism must foster among women. It is poignant reminder that while some progress has been made, there is still much work to do in the fight for equality. While some of us are cruising forward, countless women are still battling for the basics. In the end, it feels like we’re running a marathon where the finish line keeps shifting to puritanical rigidity.

TAKEAWAY

To our all the dear female readers let’s not shy away from the truth;

If feminism means fighting for equal rights while still living under the shadow of patriarchy—then yes, we are feminist.
If it means expressing our opinions with confidence and having them acknowledged—absolutely we are feminist.
If it means living a life free from violence and fear—then yes, we are feminist.

And no, we don’t need to wear pink to prove it!