Problems for a contemporary theory of gender

Susie Tharu and Tejaswini Niranjana put forward a major hurdle for theorising gender as such, by arguing that the primary subject of feminist inquiry, i.e., woman, is not a homogeneous category, due to its substantive linkage with caste, class and community factors. They narrate four streams of movements led by women towards a better society, to highlight the differences of Indian women. As Tharu and Niranjana provide no clues for how this challenge may be faced, we encounter here a pessimistic approach towards theorising Indian feminism that Dalit feminists must themselves overcome.