Parenting is political. Because raising the next generation in a fractured world means teaching children care, consent, and courage. To raise feminist kids is to reimagine the world we leave them.
Here are some South Asian books that are a starting point to feminist parenting in the south asian context.
- How To Raise A Feminist Son by Sonora Jha
Genre: Non-Fiction
Part memoir, part manifesto, this powerful book offers insight into raising feminist boys in a world steeped in patriarchy. Jha, a single mother and professor, invites us into her journey with humour, vulnerability, and radical love. For parents trying to teach consent, empathy, and equity – this book is a guiding light.
- The Feminism of Our Mothers by Daanika Kamal
Genre: Historical Fiction
A remarkable collection of essays by Pakistani women, reflecting on how feminism looks different across generations. Moving, thoughtful, and filled with personal and political insight. Because our mothers were feminists in ways we may only now begin to understand.
- My Subconsciously Feminist Father by Yashika Singla
Genre: Memoir
This warm and witty book reflects on how fairness, rather than feminism, led one father to raise his children equally. A rare and important look at fatherhood through a feminist lens in south Asia. Also proof that we don’t need to be experts to raise children with feminist values.
- South Asian Mothering Edited by Jasjit K. Sangha & Tahira Gonsalves
Genre: Anthology
This anthology brings together voices from across the diaspora, exploring how caste, class, race, and gender shape South Asian mothering. A must-read for those interested in decolonial, intersectional approaches to parenting.
- Interrogating Motherhood by Jasodhara Bagchi
Genre: Academic
Why is motherhood glorified but mothers still subordinated? Bagchi’s critical feminist lens traces how motherhood has been shaped by colonialism, capitalism, and nationalism in India. An important reminder that mothering is not always empowering under patriarchy.
While these books are important, they also show us what is still missing. Conversations on queer parenting in South Asia, voices of Dalit, Bahujan, and Adivasi parents, ideas of fatherhood beyond cishet norms, and accounts from parents, caregivers and even children from disabled, neurodivergent, and trans communities remain largely absent. These silences are not accidental. They reflect the hierarchies already present in our societies.
For feminist parenting to create real change, it has to be intersectional. Otherwise, it will only repeat the same exclusions it seeks to challenge. Parenting can be a ground for questioning power and practicing care differently but only if every kind of parent has a place in the story. We are on a mission to highlight these stories and build an archive, please email us your recommendations at hello@sanskaarigirlsbookclub.com
