Women's Day: 4 Indian Authors Share Their Hopes and Fears For the Future

Aastha Atray, journalist, singer and author of Games Girls Play 

I once saw The Fearless Girl 
in New York,
the statue of a tiny girl with a fierce stance, 
her nose high up in the air, 
she looked at the world, 
as if daring it to fight her,
then I remembered Nirbhaya, 
with her indomitable spirit, 
a reflection of all us women, 
from west to east of this country, 
from north to south of this nation, 
our fiery minds full of dreams
and our courage to make them come true, 
never stopping, 
never pausing, 
never getting scared.
And as a new era dawns,
and a new year begins, 
we have set on the path of no return, 
us brave girls, 
with no fear in our hearts,
because the future is ours,
It always was,
It always will be.

Dr Pooja Tripathi, poet and author at Wanderer Wordweaver Woman

I am not the woman you desire

Because I won't be writing poems for you
My poems speak of dissent against hate, bigotry and misogyny 
My poems can’t be singing love songs when the times are splattered with blood
My poems can’t be romancing the pinning of gender each day, every day

My poems are my force field against despair

My poems are the closest I can get to asking for an equal world

I am the woman you won't desire

or

Will you?

Devina Kaur, inspirational speaker, radio host and producer, and author of Too Fat Too Loud Too Ambitious

Feelings of equality and feminism: We teach our girls that they can have ambition, but not too much.. to be successful, but not too successful.
Feminism is a very liberating idea. It is asking for equality between men and women, equality of rights and entitlements, equality in our gender roles inside the house and outside the house.

Feminist are asking for equality of all men and women across all social divisions racial divisions created by colour by faith by religion. Feminism is widely misunderstood not only in India but across the world. It is a way of thinking for both men and women. Relations between boys and girls are fast-changing today. We need to listen to each other, talk to each other, to make the world a better place where we respect each other.

Shahzeen Shivdasani, relationship expert and author of Love, Lust and Lemons

When it comes to feminism, whether it is in the Indian context or any other, I personally believe that many people confuse feminism with women wanting to be men. That isn’t true at all. We don’t want to give up the beautiful aspects of being a woman.
All that a woman is asking for is to be treated as an equal and have the same opportunities. We don’t want to be them. That is what feminism means to me.