Writer explains gender politics in Tamil with correct usage of English terminology

“Gender politics is a topic that is discussed daily these days. Along with the discussions on gender, we hear words like victim-blaming, body shaming, gaslighting, etc. But some people don’t know the right meaning of these words and sometimes, they use it in the wrong contexts. So, we thought it would be better to teach people the right meaning of the words,” says Sneha. The 23-year-old says that once she finalises the terms, she does extensive research on the topic and read books related to it.

 “Whatever I speak should be relevant to the You- Tube audience. So, I add dialogues from mass hero films, memes and social media examples. I also talk from my personal experiences so that women can connect with the context easily. Sometimes, I conclude the videos with a solution. But for some topics like patriarchy, I don’t have a solution. I don’t know if matriarchy could be the alternative for patriarchy because it too has its disadvantages,” she adds.

 When quizzed the reason for taking English terms and not Tamil, Sneha says, “All the terms will be having an equivalent in Tamil. But the problem is in many discussions, we don’t use Tamil words and use the English words.” Sneha admits that initially, she was anxious to be in front of the camera and talk. “But after 1-2 videos, I gained confidence. I have done nine videos so far. Sometimes, I collaborate with Azeefa Fathima and Shilpa. They help me with writing some episodes. Moulee, the founder of Queer Chennai Chronicles makes videos on the LGBTQIA community,” says Sneha.