Curated by in-house food nerd, Arushi Sood. Edited by Anusha Murthy
As we celebrate the women in our lives, we at Edible Issues bring you a bunch of resources that will deepen your knowledge of the gendered ties between women and food. Women are the key food producers across different cultures, and thus, it becomes integral to understand the various nuances of this relationship.
Here are some articles, books, and short stories to get you started on learning more!
1. What Has The Feminist Movement Got To Do With Food?
For Feminism in India By Astha Bamba
The article is a great start to understanding this topic. It very briefly but concisely touches on the various aspects when it comes down to women as food producers and consumers.
2. CARING ABOUT FOOD: Doing Gender in the Foodie Kitchen by Kate Cairns, Josée Johnston, and Shyon Baumann
Foodie culture has taken the internet and us by storm, but do we really pause to see the gendered realities of foodie culture? This article will take you through the ins and outs of food and gender performance tied to this sub-culture.
3. The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol Adams
Published almost twenty-five years ago it is still considered a key reading in feminist courses all over the world. Through the book, Adams traces the linkages between gender oppression and animal oppression.
4. Food Symbolism, Sexuality, and Gender Identity in Fairy Tales and Modern Women’s Bestsellers Natalia Andrievskikh
Women discovering themselves has been a movie trope that we have seen and still love to see happening and interestingly in all of these narratives food has become almost a character on its own. The article traces food symbolism and imagery through specific fairly takes and modern novels, tracing the long associations of women with nutrition.
5. Writing Recipes by Rajyashri Goody
Any conversation about gender in a socially diverse country like India should include intersecting dynamics of caste. This anthology traces Dalit writers’ memories of food (in text) by artist Rajyashri Goody.
6. The Gender Food Gap, 2023 – A report
Even though women are the key food producers there is no food parity between the genders. The report takes you through the food inequality crisis raging in our world.
7. A Kitchen in the corner of the house by C.S Lakshmi – A short story
The short story traces the lives of women who had spent most of their time in a small kitchen at the end of the house, where the flickering of the bulb illuminated their figures as they went on peeling, cutting, and cooking the meals of the family. But what happens when a new daughter-in-law enters the kitchen? Read the story to find out the gendered ties that we ascribe between women and domicile.
8. Daaham by Vinodini – A short story
First written in Telugu by the feminist writer Vinodhini, the play has been translated into English and traces the gender and caste struggles and most importantly the resistance of Dalit women.
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