Beyond Imported Binaries: Why India (and the Global South) Must Reclaim Its Own Gender Wisdom

The article argues that the global debate on gender, framed as a choice between fixed biology and self-identification, is a false dichotomy rooted in Western thought. It asserts that South Asian and indigenous societies historically held more nuanced understandings of gender diversity, recognizing multiple dimensions beyond a simple binary. Importing Western legal and linguistic frameworks is seen as a form of epistemic violence and self-colonization, urging a reclamation of indigenous knowledge systems for a more inclusive and dignified approach to gender.