Rekha Raj

Rekha Raj (Malayalam: രേഖ രാജ്; born 5 May 1978) is a Dalit and feminist thinker, social activist and writer. She is one of the pioneers of Dalit feminism in Kerala who started writing on caste and gender issues. She has delivered lectures in institutions like Christ University, University of Hyderabad, Tata Institute of Social Sciences etc., on development, gender, human rights, and Dalit issues. She has worked as a consultant of many organizations in India.
Early life.
Raj was born to K P Nalinakshi and S Rajappan on 5 May 1978 in Kottayam, a central district of Kerala. She lives with her husband M. R. Renukumar and son. With a PhD in philosophy under the title "Politics of Gender and Dalit Identity: Representation of Dalit Women in Contemporary Dalit Discourses in Kerala", she currently works as assistant professor at the School of Gandhian Thought and Development Studies in Mahatma Gandhi University. She was a project manager of women's rights at Amnesty International India earlier.
Works.
Raj has written a book titled "Dalit Sthree Idapedalukal" in 2015, which was translated into Tamil in 2017. She was a guest editor of the "Sanghaditha" magazine special issue on "Dalit Women" in 2013. She has written many articles both in academic and other magazines including "Economic and Political Weekly," "Mathrubhumi," "Samakalika Malayalam Vaarika," "Madhyamam Weekly" and many other current periodicals in India. She also writes short stories and screenplays. Her areas of academic interest are extended to gender, development, ethnic, cultural, dalit and subaltern studies.