Tasaffy Hossain, Founder of VDAY, Dhaka, talks about how to be your own hero
By Carissa Musrat
Photograph by Sakib Muhtasim
When an issue is labelled based on a particular gender, it creates avenues for various debates. In the context of human rights and equity, feminism does come to light. However, being identified as a feminist in this day and age is still something new. But this doesn’t stop Tasaffy Hossain in standing up for what she truly believes in. While she’s at it, she does acknowledge that rising above the negative connotations attached to feminism is tough indeed. For Tasaffy, feminism isn’t just a word; it’s a revolution. She says, “You just have to grasp the word for what it stands for. It’s a belief system and it’s about what you make of it.” According to Tasaffy, being a feminist has been quite liberating for her. “You can choose to be who you want without moulding yourself into the predefined boxes created by society.” She points out that feminism is not about equality of women in regards to men; rather, it is the equality of the human race and what should be allocated and allowed for them. Tasaffy acknowledges that feminism would only fare well in Bangladesh if adults and children discuss the kind of changes they want to see in the future. Moreover, she stresses on changing women’s mindset about the movement. “It is not exclusively about men oppressing the women or women being marginalised; it stems from families and the ideas and norms they believe in.” With up and coming opinion platforms, such as One Billion Rising Bangladesh, The Vagina Monologues and It’s a She Thing, Tasaffy recognises that the feminist perspective is not so distant anymore. “One of the main goals behind these initiatives was to make it more relatable for men and women,” adds Tasaffy. The passionate activist says that one cannot be a social activist in just one particular area. “You just have to want equality for humans in general in order to give someone the same life and freedom that you want for yourself. If you really want to see a change, it has to start from an individual basis starting from talking to your friends and families and then spreading it on a wider scale,” elaborates Tasaffy. She highlights that gender and race is culturally constructed; so the changes need to be homogeneous. Hence, feminism needs to be a movement of intersectional solidarity of all marginalised groups coming together in the hope to achieve the objectives of feminism.