Past TEDx event

TEDxYouth@Naxal

Intersectionality of Feminism

Took placeSeptember 27, 2022
LocationKathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal
FormatYouth
We often speak of womanhood as though it is a shared experience. As though there is a single story of what it means to be a woman existing in a patriarchal society. But what if that story was never universal? The women history listens to most often are rarely representative of all women. Some women inherit liberation; others labour for it. Some experience sexism as their primary barrier, while others navigate race, class, migration, poverty, religion, or cultural exclusion alongside it. Because gender never exists in isolation. It intersects with other pre-existing power structures. Some women are fighting to break the glass ceiling, while some are fighting to be seen through it. Yet we continue to speak of "the female experience" as though it belongs to everyone equally. Challenging the most entrenched assumption in feminism discourse, this TEDx event begins with a provocative question: who gets to define womanhood? What happens when the woman at the centre of one feminist story may be standing at the margins of another? This TEDx event brings together women from radically different backgrounds, races, professions, cultures, and class positions (teachers and executives, doctors and artists, activists and sex workers), women whose lives occupy very different places within society, yet all exist beneath the same umbrella label: feminist. And yet, despite sharing that label, they often disagree on the very meaning of feminism itself. Beneath that shared label lie competing understandings of what a more equitable world looks like for them. What does liberation look like? Is economic independence enough? Can feminism exist separately from capitalism? Who benefits from feminist progress, and who remains invisible within it? Which type of feminism is the one true feminism? Drawing upon existing feminist frameworks like intersectional feminism, Marxist feminism, postcolonial feminism, Black feminism, decolonial feminism, queer feminism, materialist feminism and many more, this event explores a question that sits at the heart of contemporary gender discourse: who gets to define womanhood? Bringing together marginalized female voices from all over the world, we examine how systems of power shape not only women’s lives, but our very understanding of what being a woman means. From the hidden labour that sustains economies to the voices pushed to the edges of feminist conversations, our speakers challenge the assumption that one woman’s reality can stand in for all women. A conversation, not about whether women experience oppression but about why women experience it differently. Perhaps the most important question facing feminism today is not whether women deserve to be heard. It is whether we are listening to the right women. And perhaps the future of feminism will not be built by discovering a universal female experience. It will be built by confronting the possibility that no such thing has ever existed.

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

  • Ms. Shruti Chand

    Student

    Shruti is a social entrepreneur and the organizer of this TEDx event, whose work sits at the intersection of gender, culture, & social change. She is the founder of the Achham Project, an initiative dedicated to producing biodegradable, reusable menstrual pads while creating employment opportunities for women from rural communities. Inspired by her academic research into the menstrual practices and stigma faced by women in Achham, the project seeks not only to provide sustainable menstrual products, but to challenge the systems of silence and exclusion surrounding women’s bodies. “I work to give Nepali feminists their own personality, one that is modern but also close to soil” she stated in her panel discussion with motivational speaker Priya Kumar, Miss Nepal 2016 Barsha Lekhi, and psychologist Dr. Bidita Das. Through advocacy, entrepreneurship, & public dialogue, Shruti continues to challenge taboos and reimagine feminism through a uniquely Nepali lens.

  • Parina Subba Limbu

    Activist

    Parina Limbu is a women’s rights activist & founder of DRISTI, a women led organization dedicated to supporting women who use drugs and women living with HIV. As the founder of the #IAmAMomSoWhat movement, she has become a powerful advocate for challenging the stigma surrounding single motherhood & creating more inclusive spaces for women excluded from mainstream conversations. A single mother herself, Parina’s work is rooted in lived experience. Through OYA Initiatives, she promotes thrifting culture as both an environmental & feminist issue, arguing that sustainability, economic empowerment, & gender justice are inherently connected. By supporting single mothers through sustainable employment opportunities, she demonstrates how social change can be both practical and transformative. Driven by a profound understanding of her community’s needs, Parina continues to champion dignity, visibility, and opportunity for women living at the intersections of multiple forms of marginalization.

  • Priya Sigdel

    Public Figure

    Priya Sigdel is a media personality & an advocate for women’s empowerment. As the Co-founder & President of Hatti Hatti Nepal, a tailoring training centre dedicated to equipping underprivileged women with sustainable skills and economic opportunities, she has worked to transform empowerment from an idea into a tangible pathway for economic independence. Her commitment to social impact has taken her beyond Nepal, representing the country as a young changemaker in Switzerland, India, Turkey, & Bangladesh. She serves as the Country Coordinator for Udaan.Freedom, promoting menstrual health awareness among adolescents. A recipient of the Young Women Entrepreneurs Award & Miss Nepal Earth 2018, Priya represented Nepal at Miss Earth 2018 in the Philippines. Today, she is a television presenter at Kantipur Television. Yet beyond her accolades, Priya brings a personal perspective to feminism as a Nepali woman navigating spaces where race and representation are often overlooked.

Organizing team