Thursday, April 10, 2014

Gender Justice: Still a distant dream for Indian women? - Saturday 12th @ 18.30

Panel Discussion moderated by Nupur Basu

One of India’s most vibrant versions of “I have a dream” might be that one day all men and women will be treated equal, able to sit down together at a table of brother- and sisterhood, not fearing discrimination, harassment and violence because of gender… so that this country will be transformed into a place of freedom and gender justice.

This interactive panel discussion not only introduces our eight bangaloREsidents to the topic of gender and justice in India, but also offers an open platform to share thoughts and experiences, to create a common ground for thinking and rethinking gender.

Moderated by senior journalist and independent documentary filmmaker Nupur Basu, the event hosts three important figures from the sociological, activist and artistic approaches to gender justice in rural and urban India: Donna Fernandes, Jasmeen Patheja and Dr. A.R. Vasavi.

Dr. A.R. Vasavi is a social anthropologist with interests in agrarian studies, sociology of education and studies of contemporary India. She was a faculty member at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, and is currently a Senior Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi. She is also working with a team to establish an alternative learning programme in Chamarajnagar district, Karnataka. Her publications include the book "SHADOW SPACE: Suicides and the Predicament of Rural India".

Donna Fernandes is a key figure in the Indian women’s movement. She has worked on gender issues for over 30 years and is one of the founding members of Vimochana, the most prominent women’s organisation in Bangalore. Donna has covered issues ranging from violence against women, problems of rural and urban women, to the girl child, female infanticide, trafficking, dowry deaths and domestic worker’s problems. She has travelled the length and breadth of India raising awareness on women’s issues and rights.

Jasmeen Patheja is an artist with an interventionist approach. People and interactions form the core of her work. She is the founder and facilitator of Blank Noise, a volunteer-led collective committed to building a dialogue and ownership towards the issue of sexual violence. It is built on the lived experiences of volunteers, also known as ‘Action Heroes’, and works towards attitudinal shifts through events and actions designed for public participation. Jasmeen is a TED fellow and a fellow at the Ashoka Innovators for the Public.

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