Generation Equality Forum organized a workshop on 25th June 2021 on ‘Young Feminist Dialogue.’ The webinar emphasized the crucial role of young people in the process of change and called for youth inclusion and active participation. An interdisciplinary dialogue unfolded through a series of panel discussions that Ms. Srinidhi Raghavan, Co-leads Programmes was a part of.
To commence, the panel put forth the ideas that exhilarated them as feminists. Building equal capacities for all genders, the right to free ideation, addressing the marginalization within intersectionality were some that were discussed. Additionally, they also ruminated over the inclusion of support systems for disabled people in forums, the position of the Disability Rights Movement within the Young Feminist Movement and its general view of the financial support and high access needs required by people with disabilities. The needs were seen as contradictory to that of certain movements. Furthermore, the discussion also gave way to scrutinizing the presence or absence of vibrant participation from people with diverse types of disabilities or those with multiple marginalizations. This was further instantiated by explaining how the twenty-one types of disabilities stated under the Indian law were not getting translated into the representation seen today and whether or not people with disabilities had a place in all intersectional movements.
Next, the discourse provided input on the sustenance of the Young Feminist Movement which included suggestions like moving away from token leadership, incorporating a more social and queer-friendly curriculum in schools, turning such discussions into practical reality and the prevalent struggles to access spaces among some communities. Moreover, it was specified that a shift of onus from marginalized groups to all people was needed, especially when it came down to the inclusion of different communities in forums. Lastly, everyone pitched in their opinion on feminist accountability and meaningful participation and their asks for achieving them.