Beyond The Bindi

Introduction

The subject area of feminism, women’s rights and gender equality is one that can both unite and divide, with many differing opinions and conflicting ideas. Any person’s perception of feminism and gender is usually intertwined with family, culture and community, and often much more complex than simple labels allow. “A Hindu woman wears a bindi” cannot possibly define everything about the place of women and gender in both our ancient philosophy and our modern world.Many feminist narratives can lean towards the rejection of anything that is seen as ‘traditional’, but through that approach are we losing the opportunity to explore aspects of our culture that could have something to offer, old ways that have been lost yet have never been more relevant? Hindu culture has core principles but it is not a static ideology – within it, can a new generation reconcile a connection to tradition whilst embracing the contemporary? Beyond the Bindi captures authentic perspectives from those of Hindu heritage living in the UK and USA. Through these stories, we hope to generate further discussion and contribute to the ongoing narrative around women’s rights, feminism, femininity and womanhood. We feel we can better understand the modern world by providing a perspective that has previously not been sought.

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Journey

December 2019 - Coming together

A small group of passionate Hindu women come together to attempt a better understanding of Hindu perspectives on some of the contemporary issues facing our world when it comes to women's rights, empowerment, and femininity. They realise that an entire portion of the world narrative is bereft of a Hindu perspective and decide to take it upon themselves to explore further.

March 2021 - Hindu Women's Festival

To kickstart exploration of this vast topic, Beyond the Bindi curates the first Hindu Women's Festival 2021 (HWF), which brings together over 1500 participants and 60 speakers through 30 panel discussions on the various aspects of the conversation.

March 2023 - The Book

Through the renewed enthusiasm of HWF 2021, the team embarks on delivering a publication, bringing together over 50 authors from across the globe.

This is an iconic book that will re-shape default narratives.