As part of FII’s Meet the Team series, we are featuring former and current employees who have worked with or are currently working with us since the inception of FII. Feminism in India as a digital intersectional feminist media platform would not exist without these incredible individuals who have helped build this organisation to make it what it is today.
Today, we’re chatting with Malabika Dhar, the Associate Editor (Hindi) at FII. She is a graduate of Presidency College, Kolkata West Bengal, and a postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Punjab Technical University. Malabika is a mid-career journalist passionate about working towards gender and educational equality. She has had the honour of receiving the Laadli Media Award twice for her gender-sensitive writing.
FII: What do you like most about being a part of the FII family?
Malabika: There are a lot of things to which I resonate here at FII. It’s about being in a community of like-minded people. Amidst all the chaos, it’s a sense of satisfaction to be among people who share similar values and goals.
FII: What advice would you give someone joining the organisation?
Malabika: Be ready to deal with challenges. Grab the growth opportunities, be ready to explore, experiment, and improvise, and most importantly be prepared to learn and unlearn.
FII: How would your colleagues describe you?
Malabika: It’s a difficult task to assume but I hope they see me as professional, empathetic, and someone who tries her best at work.
FII: Which fictional character do you identify with and why?
Malabika: I think I relate to a character named ‘Dulari’ from the short story एही ठैयाँ झुलनी हो रामा!’ written by Shivprasad Mishra Rudra. I liked the fierce and strength Dulari showed to survive in a patriarchal society.
FII: What is something that you’re tired of hearing?
Malabika: There are quite a few. I am tired of hearing ‘तुम हर जगह वही राइट्स की बात
करती रहती हो। हर चीज़ में फेमिनिज़म मत लाओ। समाज में बराबरी है, और अब लोग इसका गलत इस्तेमाल करते हैं।’ (You should write about everything instead of writing only about women’s issues.)
FII: Which feminist movement do you feel particularly passionate about and why?
Malabika: I am inspired by every person, especially women who stay alone fighting patriarchy at the smallest and highest level every day to survive! I think this is a movement in itself. It’s not easy for a woman to survive in Indian society given the fact it’s patriarchal at every level. However, having said that we often choose our battles to fight.
FII: What makes FII a ‘feminist’ organisation?
Malabika: The ideology, the core values, and the people associated with FII.
FII: What’s the most fun thing about your job?
Malabika: The most fun thing is I get the opportunity to learn and work with people
from diverse backgrounds. It’s amazing when people engage with us or like
our work.
FII: Do you remember when and why you decided to work at a feminist organisation?
Malabika: I liked the kind of work FII was doing and started looking for opportunities to associate with it. For me, the values I had were never anything out of the box or unusual and I didn’t realize how it would be in a feminist organization. But I had a belief that this is a place where I would like to work.
FII: If you had a talk show, which feminist icon would you call and what would you ask them?
Malabika: I would like to bring back Kamala Bhasin and ask her ‘क्या करें उन लोगों का जो आज कई अधिकारों और प्रीविलेज के साथ जी रहे हैं, पर अपने प्रीविलेज का कोई एहसास नहीं और उन अधिकारों के लिए लड़ने वालों की जमकर बुराई करते हैं?’ (What to do with those people who today are living with many rights and privileges, but don’t acknowledge their privilege and make fun of those people who fight for human rights?)
FII thanks Malabika for her timely and valuable contribution to the organisation. We are incredibly grateful to have her as a part of our team and appreciate her for her deeply insightful work. She can be followed on Instagram.
