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 few years. This July, we feature Vidhupriya.
Vidhupriya is an independent researcher with a B.Ed and MA in English from Kerala University and she loves to teach, research and create content. Some of their popular articles include Madhu Murder Case: The Long Trail Of Dalit-Tribal Issues In The Nation, The Suspected Killing Of Women In Kerala For Ritualistic Sacrifice: Faith, Gender, And Literacy, Artificial Intelligence And Human Reproduction: Redefining Gender Roles And Parenting Stereotypes, Josephine Barker — The World War Spy Who Was Recently Declared France’s National Hero, Rathipushpam: A Malayalam Item Song With Reverse Gaze And Bisexual Politics, ‘Sounds Like Love’: Re-Vitalising Homosocial Bonds And Self Love among others.
FII: Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
Vidhupriya: I am a feminist and independent researcher with Masters and Bachelor of Education in English from Kerala University. For the time being I have just kickstarted my career as a teaching faculty, but I am more drawn towards research and content creation.
FII: How did you become a part of the FII writer family?
Vidhupriya: I don’t exactly remember how I came across FII, but to me it was like ‘finally reaching home’. Before this, I focused on academic publications which were usually far removed from real life circumstances. From being a regular reader, I became a content creator due to my intrinsic call to address several intersectional issues surrounding gender. FII’s contents on common issues faced by the many around us invited my efforts in writing. Fortunately, FII has given me the best opportunities to develop myself.
FII: How and when did you become a feminist? Which issues within feminism are close to your heart?
Vidhupriya: As an individual I had and still continues to experience inequalities, and these have always kept me contemplating about the various issues in society. During my post-graduation days, I got my defenses against various forms of oppression through reading and lectures. Ever since, I have consciously tried to transform myself and the people around me. And, FII has always given me a platform to voice my concerns and critique of society. I cannot simply express the catharsis that I experience every time I write in FII. I protest all forms of sexism and truly believe in the rights of the minorities.
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?
Vidhupriya: My favorite piece that I wrote on FII is ‘Madhu Murder Case: The Trail of Dalit-Tribal Issues in the Nation’ because the innocent face of Madhu always haunted me and I long wanted to raise the inhumanity faced by the tribals in the country. Thus, publishing this piece gave me a sense of solace which I couldn’t experience otherwise.
I fell in love with many articles on FII and it would an injustice to mention just one or two. Yet my two picks would be ‘No DU. I Did Not Read ‘That’ Book: The Shrewd Demand of Being ‘Well-Read’ in Academia’ and ‘Sisterhood and Solidarity: The Women in Cinema Collective’. While the former explores a neglected issue, the latter has elaborately connected the various nuances connected to the central topic with so much ease.
FII: What do you like to do when not writing about gender and social justice?
Vidhupriya: I am a good taster of movies and foods. Besides this I like to read, garden and cook for myself and my loved ones.
FII: What do you like about FII and our work? What more would you like to see from us?
Vidhupriya: Please be there, be the voice of the multitude minorities everywhere and keep pitching your voice ever louder.
I really love working with the team who gives me a sense of camaraderie and a sense of oneness. It’s a quick, efficient and easy team to work with. And blissfully, I hope that you always hold your ethics and principles closer as you do now.
FII thanks Vidhupriya for her timely and valuable contributions. We are incredibly grateful to have her as a part of our writers’ community and appreciate her for the deeply informative writing. You can follow her on Facebook and Linkedin.
