The Making of a Bad Women

On March 8, 2026, the Adhyayan Writing Community hosted its 20th Session 'The Making of a Bad Women,' an intimate, reflective and curated session at Nukkad Cafe and Co-working, Raipur.

Name- Satpriya Kaur Mudhar

Role- Moderator and Curator

Email Id- satpriyakaurmudhar@gmail.com

The Making of a “Bad Woman” was conceived as an exploration of how the idea of the “bad woman” is socially constructed. Behaviours, choices, and expressions that fall outside accepted norms are often labelled negatively, shaping a narrow framework of what a “good” woman is expected to be.

The session aimed to question this binary by examining the everyday ways in which women are categorized, judged, or disciplined, whether through language, expectations, or social reactions. Participants were invited to reflect on personal experiences, observations, and cultural narratives that contribute to the making of this label.

At its core, The Making of a “Bad Woman” sought to unpack how such definitions are formed, who defines them, and what happens when women step outside prescribed roles. The session created space to critically engage with these ideas and reconsider the boundaries between conformity, resistance, and individuality.

The Making of a “Bad Woman” unfolded as a reflective space to examine how certain behaviours, choices, and expressions come to be labeled as “bad” within social and cultural contexts. The session brought together a significant number of participants, with an almost equal representation of men and women, allowing for a more layered and dialogic engagement with the theme.

Through conversation and writing, participants shared personal experiences, observations, and everyday instances where such categorization becomes visible. The presence of diverse perspectives, across genders, allowed the discussion to move beyond a singular viewpoint, and instead explore how these labels are formed, perceived, and internalized collectively.

As the founder and organizer, my intention was to create a space for critical engagement without directing participants toward fixed conclusions. What emerged was a nuanced exploration, some reflected on internalized expectations, others on external judgments, and many engaged with the tension between conformity and resistance.

The session ultimately became a shared inquiry into how identities are shaped through social perception, and how reclaiming or reinterpreting such labels can open space for more expansive and thoughtful understandings of self and agency.