The book, Playing with Fire: Feminist Thought and Activism through Seven Lines in India by Sangtin Writers, focuses on the dilemmas and challenges that the Indian women encounter in their societies, households, and workplaces. The authors illustrate the capabilities and drawbacks of the charity NGO organizations that aim to empower women in their careers and enhance gender equality. The writing style of the authors is clear, concise and informal because it gives the reader broad understanding of the problems that women face and the reason for the formation of right civil associations. The introductory part of the book provides details on the origin of Sangtin along with the actual Hindu version. The authors give reasons for translating the text into English. The authors integrate the questions of feminist methods along with epistemology. They also address the problems of society and organizational challenges for women independence.
The first chapter of the book elaborates the reason for carrying out the documentation and examination. The authors outline the advantages and disadvantages of the testimonial process. The writers focused on writing about the privilege of low-profile Dalit women. They noted that the seven women had different classes, religious stands, and social order. The women shared their life experiences and decided to publish in December 2003.
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The second and third chapters of the publication give an analysis of the lives of the characters before they registered to NSY (Nari Samata Yojana). The biography consist of their early marriages, childhood experiences, and challenges during adolescence. The authors integrate the stories and analysis with gender, religion, and cultural levels. The unique element of the chapters is that they outline the factors that influence girls and women in the Indian society including number and gender of the relatives and the perception of the gender identities.
The fourth and fifth chapters of the book focus on feminist analysis in India. The sections outline the ways the characters registered in the NYS, the opposition they encountered from their relatives, intimidation they faced when associating with the administrators and history of personal privileges. The authors outlined the challenges that female workers faced in the workplaces. The writers argued that women encounter tension in maintaining honor among their relatives and meeting their interests in fighting for their rights. The position of women in the society and their households had improved as a result of working.
The last section of the book points out the gap between discussions on gender, social as well as economic equality advocated by NSY and other NGO institutions. The writers argued that the positions of NYS are determined at the office in spite of holding committees with the citizens. The institutions claim that they should they should collaborate with the Dalit women, but many employees come from the upper and middle classes. The authors criticize the method used by NSY such as holding meetings with the women that do not have a follow-up to make sure they address the issues of the victims.
The first concept of the authors is that women were not given the privilege of working. Women lost honor after they secured employment. The authors state “It’s up to you either to keep honor or to raze it” (Nagar and Saṅgatina (Organization), 2006 p. 68) . Pallavi had decided to enroll in a jo, but the relatives were against the idea. She argued that she could not stay in the house while her mother was meeting her son’s expenses and she had no soap or oil. The other concept of the writers is that women face discrimination in the society and the workplace. The authors state “From the beginning, I faced a lot of discrimination-do not go outside” (Nagar and Saṅgatina (Organization), 2006 p. 91). Madhulika did not have freedom because the society had restricted her from doing certain activities. The authors argue that women get empowered after they work and become affiliates in organizations that fight for their rights. The authors state “our work with NSY increased our capabilities, our deep-seated fears and inferiority complexes began to vanish” (Nagar and Saṅgatina (Organization), 2006 p. 92). Women become independent after they get employed. The authors argued that the donor-funded agencies were not effective in advocating for the women’s rights due to their hierarchical structure. The authors concluded that collectives such as Sangtin should be formed because they do not take charity funds. The organization will divide the salaries equally because they will exercise transparency and accountability. The new institution will enhance women standard of living and empower them.
The solutions proposed by the writers were not practical because every organization must have a hierarchy where the executives come from middle or upper-class backgrounds. The book has not addressed several issues. Firstly, the level in which the collectives can reach without donations. Secondly, the authors did not specify the people responsible for enhancing empowerment and development of women in the collective organizations. Thirdly, the writers did not give the actual donor for the internal operations of NSY. Fourthly, the authors did not state accountability of the charity organizations in the code of conduct.
In conclusion, the book has a clear vocabulary that is conversant with every reader. It is the main contributor of the feminist analysis methods and reliable source in the dissemination of knowledge. The authors reflect the social positions in the feminists’ organizations and the methods of transforming them. The writers provide valuable insights into the process of empowering women. The book will be helpful to NGO administrators, committee members, policymakers, and academic organizations.
References
Nagar, R., & Saṅgatina (Organization). (2006). Playing with fire: Feminist thought and activism through seven lives in India . Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Preprovides ss.
