Nani: A Poetic Exploration of Intersectionality and Gender-Based-Violence in Feudal Kerala

“Nowhere in the world is a woman safe from violence. The strengthening of global commitment to counteract this plague is a movement whose time has come.”

-Asha-Rose Migiro

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a multifaceted problem with roots in intersecting social factors and structural inequalities that extend beyond physical harm and bloodshed. Rooted in deeply ingrained social, cultural, and economic elements, Gender-Based- Violence perpetuates power disparities, especially against women and marginalized gender identities. It encompasses the intersection of cultural beliefs and practices, poverty and marginalization, patriarchy, traditional gender roles, and more.

Kamala Das’s Nani is a poignant poem that serves as a metaphor for the violence in feudal Kerala. It critiques social injustices and gender-based violence revolving around the marginalised individual. This work illustrates how gender intersects with other identities like caste, class, and culture and how these intersecting identities impact women's experiences of oppression and violence.

Since her story reflects persistent problems of gender-based violence, class inequality, and the marginalization of vulnerable women, Nani is still incredibly relevant in the present global scenario. Using intersectionality theory in Kamala Das's poem Nani, we aim to show that violence goes beyond physical bloodshed and encompasses the oppression experienced by a specific section of mankind, particularly in terms of gender and caste.

Keywords: Gender- based- violence, intersectionality, marginalization, intersecting identities