We have been featuring the best writers from our writers’ community for their committed contribution to FII, making it what it is today. FII would not exist if not for the passionate and loyal feminist writers’ community that we have steadily been building over the last three years.
This December, we feature Hamsadhwani Alagarsamy. From analysing the public’s misogynistic reaction to activist Gowsalya’s wedding to commenting on the toxic trend of casting non-brown women in Tamil cinema, Hamsadhwani’s articles are not only informative but also contain fresh perspectives. She has also reported on various protests that have takes place in Chennai and Delhi. Her highly nuanced writing brings in depth to every topic she has attempted to cover on our platform. Some of her other popular articles are Killing Eve Review: Subverting The Spy Thriller Genre, Why Women Workers Are Protesting Against H&M, Velu Nachiyar: The Tamil Queen Who Fought Away the British, and many more.
FII: Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
Hamsadhwani Alagarsamy: I am an eighteen-year-old high school graduate. I’m currently on a gap year and I intend to go to law school next year.
FII: How did you become a part of the FII writer family?
HA: I have been following FII for about three years now and their content was my introduction to nuanced feminist issues in India. So when I saw that they were taking in applications for an online internship, I immediately applied. I had written a bunch of articles as part of the internship and because I love FII and everything they do, I have continued to write for them!
FII: How and when did you become a feminist? Which issues within feminism are close to your heart?
HA: I feel like there is no particular point where you become a full-fledged feminist. There is always something you can learn or unlearn. My mother had always made sure I was sensitised to feminist issues even if she didn’t have the vocabulary for it. So it’s hard for me to pinpoint a particular moment, but I came across the word feminism when I was around 13, and started actively identifying as one when I was 14. I owe a lot of my initial knowledge to feminist teenagers around the world on Instagram and Tumblr.
The lack of DBA and LGBTQIA+ representation in every field is a feminist issue I care about immensely.
FII: What is your favourite piece on this site that you have written, and your favourite piece on this site that you have read? Why did they strike you?
HA: The piece I enjoyed working on the most was my review of the show Killing Eve, because it gave me an excuse to rewatch my favourite show of 2018 and fangirl over some of the most amazing women in Western media. But my favourite piece that I’ve written is ‘Dear Tamil Cinema, Let Brown Women Play the Role of Brown Women’. As for my favourite piece by another writer, the piece ‘Why Queer Friendships Are Important To Queer People’ is very close to my heart. As a queer person myself, queer friendships mean a lot to me and the writer has done a great job verbalising the sentiment.
FII: What do you like to do when not writing about gender and social justice?
HA: When I’m not writing about gender and social justice, I like to read about gender and social justice. I enjoy watching shows and indie movies, and I spend several hours a day listening to podcasts. I can also be found looking for bohemian jewellery to add to my collection and radicalising my friends and family with gay leftist propaganda.
FII: What do you like about FII and our work? What more would you like to see from us?
HA: I love how FII has articles on virtually every feminist issue. I also admire their editorial policy and the importance they give to amplifying the voices of DBA women and men.
Being an avid consumer of podcasts, I would love to see some from FII.
FII thanks Hamsadhwani Alargarsamy for her timely and valuable contributions. We are incredibly grateful to have her as a part of our writers’ community and appreciate her for her deeply insightful writing. She can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
