6 Spoken Word Poets; Feisty Women Who Challenge Society’s Expectations From Women

Spoken word poetry is becoming more and more common in India and around the world today, especially with women who wish to make a stand against the expectations set upon them by society.

Spoken word poetry is becoming more and more common in India and around the world today, especially with women who wish to make a stand against the expectations set upon them by society.

This list of 6 strong women spoken word poets is a starting jump into the world of spoken word poetry. They speak about differences and equalities, speaking with touching and emotional words which cause the listener to think, really think about what they are saying, who have grown in popularity in the spoken-word community.

Aranya Johar

Johar is a young woman who has made quite a name for herself as a spoken word poet. She writes passionately about the expectations Indian women and men as well face in this world, both in India and across the world.

In her piece, “A Brown Girl’s Guide to Beauty,” she speaks about how both Indian girls and boys are given unrealistic expectations set upon them because society tells them they are not good enough in any way.

Watch it here.

Rupi Kaur

Most of us are familiar with Rupi Kaur’s deep, emotional poetry through her book Milk and Honey. It’s well written, but even better spoken out loud.

In this video, Rupi reads her poem “What Love Looks Like” and breathes emotion into it through her voice, resonating with women all over the world as she speaks about how she assigned love a face, but really it means so much more than just one person. She speaks about how love is more fragmented, more diverse than just the one person she thought was her love.

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Watch it here.

Priya Malik

In her piece “Swipe Right For Choice,” Priya Malik talks about a woman’s right to her own body and her own choices. She speaks about how this perspective has been hidden away under all the shameful things women are told in order for them to appeal to society. She talks about how her body is hers and not under the control of her family or men in her life.

Her words are carefully chosen and can be inspiring to young women who may feel societal pressure weighing them down.

Watch it here.

Prachee Mashru

Prachee Mashru is a spoken word poet and an activist. In her poetry piece “#PRIDE” Prachee Mashru speaks about the LGBTQ+ community and how they are being done an injustice in Indian society. She raises significant questions about why straight people think the LGBT community is different and states that people shouldn’t say they believe in pride when they say something completely different one second later.

Watch it here.

Ankita Shah

Ankita Shah writes poetry that speaks to our differences as humans. In her piece ‘Borders’ Ankita Shah speaks about how borders are superficial and our differences are manmade, and how so many people fail to see that. She says that so many people look at her and see a Nepali, nothing more. She asks, how does being from difference places separate us? How am I different because I am not from your country?

Shah raises important questions in the dialogue of racism and even just hate of people from places that aren’t theirs.

Watch it here.

Swastika Jajoo

Swastika Jajoo is a passionate spoken word poet who raises a point about the set expectations girls have weighing them down and in her piece “If A Bra Strap Could Talk,” she speaks about how society judges and marks down girls if their strap is showing, even through the kind of bra she’s wearing. Jajoo refutes society’s expectations and clearly states that it is society who has the wrong expectations, not girls whose bra straps are showing.

Watch it here.

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