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 July, we feature Roohi Narula. From talking about the gendered art of consumption to writing about the objectivity granted to women’s stories in the #MeToo movement, Roohi’s exceptional writing skills have covered a host of topics, respecting each of them, in their own distinctiveness. Some of her other popular articles are Decolonising Sex: India’s History Of Colonised Bodies And Sexual Repression, Un-Fair And Not So Lovely: Capitalism And Colourism In India and many more.
FII: Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
Roohi Narula: I recently finished my undergrad in Women & Gender studies and Religion. I am home for the summer as I begin my masters in Liberal Studies in August. I am all in all a sarcastic, awkward human just trying to do my best to change the world.
FII: How did you become a part of the FII writer family?
Roohi Narula: I did the online internship with Feminism in India last summer. Through the internship I learnt a lot about not only the political landscape in India but also about my own positionality. FII truly embodies intersectionality and pushed me to do the same. The internship left a significant mark on me and so I continued writing for FII.
FII: How and when did you become a feminist? Which issues within feminism are close to your heart?
RN: It’s hard to pin point an exact time or event that pushed me to become a feminist but it’s easy to say that I don’t know a time when I didn’t identify as one. Studying Women&Gender studies radically transformed my understanding of feminism and since I have become a louder and prouder feminist. Issues within feminism that are close to my heart vary but I am particularly passionate about the intersection of gender and religion.
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?
RN: My favorite article that I wrote is ‘Hindutva Feminism’ And Its Rhetoric Of Hatred & Exclusion. This was my first article ever and I was extremely proud of myself for pushing myself to get my work published. My favorite piece on the site that I have read is hard to pick since FII is filled with numerous beautifully written pieces. However, an article that particularly stood out to me was Reclaiming My Fat Body From The Fatphobes. The authors vulnerability was revolutionary to me as a reader who herself struggles with body image issues.
FII: What do you like to do when not writing about gender and social justice?
RN: I spend 90 percent of my life watching way too many trash reality tv shows. But recently I have been pushing myself to learn new things. This summer I joined a workshop to learn filmmaking with hopes to one day make a documentary. I am also currently trying to build a better relationship with my body through yoga and some body positivity readings.
FII: What do you like about FII and our work? What more would you like to see from us?
RN: What I love about FII is it’s commitment to intersectionality. Every article on the site and even the site in itself exemplifies a nuanced understanding of intersectionality which is honestly contagious. I would like to see FII do more workshops or events to add more of a sense of community.
FII thanks Roohi 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 informative writing. She can be followed on Instagram.
