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Womenite: Inspiring equality from the grass roots

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Womenite has been founded by Harshit Gupta, an under graduate student from NSIT, alongside a core team also comprising of undergraduate students, closely working with the consulting experts in the fields of gynaecology and a counselling. The organisation aims at “awakening, encouraging, and asking people to understand a woman’s mind, her deepest reveries; to blaze forth a new wave of feminism where women are at par with men in every context of life.”

Deriving their inspiration directly from the belief that the society does not need heroes to rise and shine from the dust, but needs a change in the mindsets of those who think only one gender can rule. The team at Womenite wants to create a safe world for women where they can live free lives. Achieving gender equality is their salient goal, only to be realised through better awareness in the society. Their approach includes organising public workshops and events targeting issues, considered to be a taboo and building a comfortable haven where victims of abuse, assault, discrimination and violence, along with their family and friends can speak out about their experience without being judged or shamed. They believe their approach is unique, as they implicitly understand the power of young minds. Womenite gives prime importance to bringing a change from a grass root level, i.e. to start the process of change from within our schools.
During a set of workshops organized by the team, with young students, issues like online and offline stalking, harassment at school or home and eve-teasing were tackled, comfortably, with the students in presence of their educators. The workshops kicked off with more and more girls participating in the conversations.
Apart from the objective of covering as many schools in the vicinity and remote areas, ‘Womenites’ take the advantage of Rahgiri days. On every Sunday morning, when most of Delhi completes their sleeping hours, participants from Womenite, all under graduate students, venture out to spread awareness about ‘Unacceptable touch through Free Hugs, Free Hi-fives’ targeting issues such as sexual harassment on the streets or inside institutions, not limiting its scope to a specific gender and also inculcating Gender Equality.
Their growing impact and participations with renowned communities has gotten them the much needed support. The organisation offers participation to any student who wishes to redefine conventions and reduce gender gaps, as well as seek out related issues prevailing in our society today.
To find out more about Womenite and its work, pay them a visit at – www.womenite.com
If you want to be a part of the change, apply to Womenite here. 

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DUB News

Delhi Commission for Women accepts Pinjra Tod charter of demands at Jan Sunwai

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Students from different Universities of the capital gathered for a jan sunwai in Jantar Mantar on 10th October as a part of the Pinjra Tod campaign. The jan sunwai vocally presented the grievances and the demands of this expanding group of students protesting against the restrictive and biased hostel/PG rules. The event saw eminent academicians and feminists like Piyoli Swatija, Uma Chakravarti, Mary John and Janaki Abraham as the jury of the public hearing. A representative of the Delhi Commission of Women was also present to assess the demands of this campaign. The Jan sunwai started with a powerful poem by a student of Miranda House. It was followed by a song, composed and performed by two male students who have also joined this women’s movement.

Students from different hostels and PG’s presented their cases of moral policing, sexist and restrictive curfew timings and issues such as the number of late nights and the concept of local guardians. These included residents of hostels of St Stephens, Miranda House and Jamia Milia Islamia to name a few. In addition, residents of private hostels and PG’s such as Aparna Girls Hostel, Undergraduate Hostel for Girls and others also voiced their anger against the oppressive rules and regulations of their hostels as well as the conduct of their wardens.
The speakers left the crowd as well as the jury baffled with their stories. For instance, one of the student from Jamia Milia Islamia said, “Jamia Milia Islamia requires their foreign residents to seek permission from their respective embassies for a late night leave.”  Numerous cases of moral policing and use of abusive language by wardens was also voiced by the students of Delhi University.
The discussion was followed by a powerful Protest Performance, called Khol do. This was followed by the comments of the jury, who found it surprising that the condition and the rights of women have not really changed over the time. Uma Chakravarti, revered feminist historian said, “The university treats hostels as the extension of fathers control”. Janaki Abraham also exposed, ” the paternalism of the new UGC guidelines “

It was also highlighted that the Pinjra Tod campaign is not looking for freedom in a Utopian world and that the models of free and egalitarian spaces are present not very far, in the residences of institutions like JNU. The Pinjra tod activits read out their charter of Demands and handed over a petition signed by over one thousand supporters to the representative of the Delhi Commission Of Women, Farheen Malik. The Charter of Demands along with the petition was accepted by Farheen Malik,who termed all the demands ” genuine”
The Jan sunwai commenced with both male and female supporters shouting slogans such as,

“Pitta sapta dhoka hai,
Dhaka Maro Moka hai ”
and
“Gulami se samjhota karna chhod
Pinjra Tod  Pinjra Tod
Hostel ke darwazay khol
Pinjra Tod, Pinjra Tod “

The crowd dispersed after having danced to a Greek freedom song. The core members of the campaign thanked the supporters and also urged them to support the Pinjra Tod campaign in it’s future endeavours.

Read all about the Pinjra Tod movement here.

Photo by Uzma Rehman

Tooba Towfiq

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Celebrating Femininity (Terms and Conditions Applied)

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There is a hypocrisy attached to the way society deals with women and their decisions about their own bodies. The recent incident of Instagram removing a picture showing a fully clothed woman with a small period leak is just one such occurrence in what is the general attitude towards women’s bodies. Although Instagram reinstated the picture (after removing it twice) following a furore on social media platforms, it is appalling to note the general idea perpetuating in society about controlling a woman’s narrative about her own body and it’s – to no one’s surprise – laced with double standards.

It is evident in the way the women’s breasts are objectified but the moment a young woman’s bra (everyday clothing for women all over the world) is visible, it becomes something worth debating and calling “over the top”. For instance, when the media thought it was a big deal for Taylor Swift to step out with her bra visible under a top. It is how women’s roles as life-givers are heralded but menstruation, a natural process influential to their ability to reproduce, is seen as something to be discussed in hushed whispers behind bathroom stalls. It is also about how society celebrates motherhood with pictures of new mothers serenely looking at their babies but banishes the very same mothers to breastfeed in bathroom stalls, which was talked about when a campaign “When Nurture Calls“ was launched in Texas, USA to support a woman’s right to nurse in public without being bothered or disturbed. It is worrying to see how people jump on the bandwagon of Meghan Trainor’s problematic “All About That Bass“, supposedly talking about body positivity, but are unwilling to look at a woman over size 10 in a crop top with anything other than disgust and mockery. The message is loud and clear: Love your body and celebrate womanhood as long as it is aligned with our shiny perceptions of what women should look like and do.

The realities of femininity do not fit into the neat little moulds that they are thought to be restricted to. There are period leaks and unkept body hair and rolls and bends and imperfections. It is time to stop preaching body positivity with statements like “real men love curves” because that defeats the very purpose of loving your body for what it is and not because it might seem more attractive to others in a certain way. It is time for women to take back control of the narrative of their own bodies. To truly celebrate femininity, we have to celebrate all aspects of it- the beauty and the struggle, the perfection and the flaws. We cannot pick and choose things to be proud of and things to quash based on skewed perceptions because there is nothing to be ashamed of about normal bodily functions and nothing ugly about our bodies.

Shubham Kaushik

[email protected]

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Campus Central

Women's Development Cells across Delhi University

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culture

th gang rape case as I think that is well established. But yes, I am talking about the inclusion of these lived experiences as a part and parcel of laying down the foundations of the numerous minds and attitudes that get shaped at colleges in Delhi University every day. I am talking about going that extra mile and to simply not wait for an event to shake us from the roots and later indulge in conversations expressing grief that last as long as a cup of coffee. Tracing some of the initiatives and going back to endeavours that started with trying to create and move away from a patriarchal society, one simply can’t overlook the setting up and introduction of various Women’s Development cells in colleges all across Delhi University. The increasing relevance of the same is closely tied with the context in which there is a need for them to function. Structures of patriarchy, consequent years of oppression, every experience unfolding an untold story and reiterating the belief- “ the personal is political”, that every action in the confines of your domestic sphere builds up to form a reaction and possibly similar actions in the public sphere is an ideology which most of these societies aim at instilling in the youth today. Some initiatives like the Sashakt which is a committee that strives for the empowerment and development of the students and faculty at Bharti College. It organizes several activities to help understand what is sexual harassment, educate students and staff on how to prevent and address harassment, and campaigns on prevention of sexual harassment through the medium of films, posters, banners, lectures and discussions  to create awareness. Lady Shri Ram College was one of the first few colleges in Delhi University to have started the Women’s Development Cell as a formal society in 1985. Banishing the view of being called “man haters”, this society aims at allowing its members to have a balanced view about the various gender issues that are a part of everyday living. It is an absolute necessity that every college has a women development cell as it opens up the minds on topics of sexuality, patriarchy and gender. In a series of events organised by this society, some of the ones that really stood out include a street play called Dastak by the Asmita Theatre Group. This street play was directed by Mr. Arvind Gaur and highlighted the heinous violence and harassment against women at public places. Additionally, the acclaimed documentary filmmaker Mr. Rahul Roy was invited for a discussion on ‘Masculinity and Gender Relations’. Deconstructing Gender, he brought to the fore the themes of masculinity and gender relations in the larger backdrop of caste, communalism, labour, class identities, culture and societal structures. In what constitutes an integral part of the curriculum of the cell, is the annual fest called “Udaan” every year showcasing plays starring eminent personalities like Tom Alter, panel discussions and heated debates amongst other activities. In speaking to one of the members of the Women’s Development Cell from Kamla Nehru College, she was quoted saying “These societies are imperative not only because they help in overcoming gender as a social construct, but help in engaging with Gender as a process and as a reality that one deals with on a daily basis” “One Billion Rising”, which was a global campaign for putting an end to such injustices was a smashing hit and it provided the societies of all these colleges to actively participate in the flash mob and the rallies. In a lot ways, it sent out a clear message of solidarity against these different forms of suppression of women and it was encouraging to see the huge numbers in which the youth had turned up with immense zeal and enthusiasm. It is not just women’s colleges but Women Development Cells are an important hub of activity in Co-ed colleges as well. Colleges such as Kirori Mal, Venky and Shivaji have really active WDC forums. At KMC a lot of its work is undertaken by the college gender forum, Parivartan, though, which is one of the most active ones in the university. Gender justice is now just not another feminist jargon concerning a certain section of the society, it is a responsibility that has now, more than ever before, assumed an unmatched level of importance and the setting up of Women’s Development Societies is no longer just an option but a necessity. By Tanya Kak ([email protected]) and Niharika Singh ([email protected])]]>

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Biblio

Book Review: Seeing like a Feminist

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Title: Seeing like a Feminist
Author: Nivedita Menon
Year of publication: 2012

Feminist politics is complex, critical and contains a pattern of innumerable structures – just like the patriarchy it opposes. At the same time, being a feminist living in a patriarchal society comes with its own set of complications – from being labeled a man hater to questioning your own beliefs. Nivedita Menon’s book published jointly by Zubaan Publications and Penguin Books – speaks of all this and more. What is both insightful and humbling about Menon’s style is her sheer lucidity, which makes this book simple yet powerful, ridden with modern examples (like the ban on the Burkha in France) yet historical (like the existence of the stereotypical gendered colours of pink and blue having swapped genders only 50 years ago!)

Having been both a student and a professor at Delhi University, Menon connects patriarchy’s several structures and weaves them into a chain of thought that will not let you put this book down. Seeing like a Feminist starts with the concept of nude make up – make up that makes one look ‘natural’ and draws an analogy of the same with the present social order – which goes through the most painful rites and rituals only to finally move towards the natural order of things. She explains patriarchy through many such interesting insights and anecdotes, going through what it is to be a feminist, feminism’s relationship with family, love and marriage. She talks about bodies – what it is to be feminine and masculine and how these are mere social constructs and how these associate with sexuality. Menon’s take on today’s feminism is beautifully seasoned with the history of feminism in India; it’s associations with formal structures like law and historical ones like caste. She quotes several scholars, writers, writes extensively about contemporary movements, gets into the specifics of the Indian Penal Code, and yet, never once, does her writing make you feel like you’re reading a piece of academic work.

Feminism, for Menon, ‘’is not about a movement of final triumph over patriarchy, but about the gradual transformation of the social field- so decisively- that old markers shift forever.’’ This book is a brilliant read for anyone who wishes to understand feminism as a political ideology, along with its influences on informal and complex structures that makes up today’s conflicted society. Seeing like a Feminist is bold, thought through and in many parts – contrary to what is expected of feminism – very, very entertaining.

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Campus Central

Shabana Azmi in Miranda House

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On 21st March, Shabana Azmi, the acclaimed Bollywood actress and famous activist visited Miranda House and held a discussion with young boys and girls about pressing issues like gender sensitization and women empowerment. The event was organized by the joint efforts of the Women Development Cell of Miranda House, Parivartan Gender forum of Kirori Mal College and NSS of Hindu College. As was expected, quite a large crowd turned up for the event.Although the boys were fewer in number, they participated in the talk and asked insightful questions.

The actress was late, as is usually the case with celebrities and the program which was scheduled to begin at 2, began at 3:20. The crowd cheered and clapped as Shabana Azmi made her way to the stage, clad in a white Anarkali suit and looking magnetic as she always does. She began by apologizing for making the crowd wait, defending herself by stating that she has come directly from the airport, without having even a sip of water and so she was hungry-to hear young minds speak. Her views about the recent rape case and equality of women impressed us all. She made it clear that ‘equal’ doesn’t mean ‘same’, equal means equality of opportunities, which is clearly lacking in Indian society and the change has to begin at home.

She also related many of her experiences that she had had in other countries as well as in India. She stresses on improving the attitude of the police and providing security to the victims so that they are spared the embarrassment and also to ensure that women can travel whenever they want, wearing whatever they want. Her comment on ‘item numbers’, that a song’s lyrics are no invitation to rape was another which received a loud applause. I was particularly affected by her observation about a course book of third graders, which says “where is the father? In the office. Where is the mother? In the kitchen.” She concluded that our society is taught this way, and change cannot be brought about in this generation, but that means that we have to keep working for it and raise our voice without giving up.

This was Delhi University’s efforts to fight violence against women. And I must say, Miranda house with all other organizers did a brilliant job in making it a successful one.

 

Aishwarya Chaurasia
[email protected]

Picture credits- Swadha Singh

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Campus Central

One billion rising movement at Miranda House

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There couldn’t have been a better time to talk about feminism. The entire country is angry towards the brutal gang rape incident, and for a change, women issues are being looked at without the prism of patriarchy. There has been a conscious effort on the part of the youth to change the misogynist setup that we have been living in since ages.

Today, Miranda House was host to one such event that was organized under the banner of ‘One Billion rising-South Asia’. The One billion rising movement aims to empower women across the nation to stand up against the world’s complete indifference towards the other half of the population of the world. This event attracted eminent panelists like Eve Ensler (The creator of “The Vagina monologue”), Kamala Bhasin (From the NGO Jago ri) , Mallika Sarabhai (The noted bharatnatyam and kuchipudi dancer and social activist) and Abhijit Das (noted actor). Eve Ensler performed two of her monologues that she had recently written, one titled “Rising” and the other titled “I am an emotional creature”. Kamala Bhasin highlighted issues pertaining to woman by the medium of slogans. Mallika Sarabhai gave a dance recital revolving around Vishnu and Indra that left everyone mesmerized. The venue was reverberating with the positive energy that the guests had brought along with them.

Amidst the huge crowd that had gathered, only 5-6 odd men could be spotted, one of whom spoke up in a discussion, claiming that alcoholism is the main cause of rape. Needless to say, the crowd booed him out. At the end of the event, everyone agreed that it was high time we stop tolerating violence and discrimination against women and give a serious thought to the power relations in the society.

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DUB Speak

Dancing to the beats of Yo Yo Honey Singh

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2012 was a year that saw movies and music take an experimental and innovative twist in India. From Barfi’s subtle approach towards our society’s outlook on disability, to the recognition of many more bands and upcoming artists, last year seemed to be a ray of hope in an industry mostly monopolised by lewd item songs that consisted of women gyrating to pulsating beats. Despite these differences, the scenario doesn’t seem to have changed much, as the hero is still the policeman or roadside Romeo who thinks it is his birthright to pester and bully the girl of his dreams till she unwittingly falls in love with him.

The biggest sensation that emerged last year was the Punjabi rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh. From an underground artist who was barely recognised for his work, to producing chartbusters like Angreji Beat and Mai Sharabi, this self-proclaimed ‘international villager’ has taken the bollywood music industry as well as its dhol-loving audience by storm. His song ‘Brown Rang’, which refers to the tantalizing beauty of a chocolate-skinned woman that trumps the charms of a typical blue-eyed blond, was the most trending article on YouTube by Indian viewers. Honey Singh has also been one of the most searched artists in India, following Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. Very little is left to discussion when the three most searched celebrities on the internet are those that promote brainless violence, sexual item songs and misogynist lyrics covered up by feet-tapping beats.

Honey Singh’s songs are, without doubt, highly contagious. When played at parties, very few people will be able to admit to the fact that they sat in a corner while everyone around them swayed to songs like ‘Dope shope’ and ‘High heels’. However, when we dig deep into the colourful rapper’s past, some of his earliest works consist of despicable and filthy lyrics on how to objectivise a woman during sex, including some highly violent references to please his insatiable lust.

As India is a democracy, Honey Singh’s licence to sing is a matter that cannot really be questioned. However, there do exist some disturbing realities that may not directly relate to his work, but hit on the internalization of certain beliefs over the years. Honey Singh might just be one exceptionally obvious case, yet so many others exist in the form of movie scenes and ads. Starting from Fair and lovely and Axe deodorants, even movies like Agneepath and Tees Maar Khan seem to have no use of a woman except to showcase them in sexually charged numbers like ‘Chikni Chameli’ and ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’. As toned and beautiful as the woman look, the leering men that surround them and the crude lyrics that make up the songs don’t do much to show a woman’s independence, no matter how vehemently the actresses and a majority of the audience claim that they portray this. The reality, despite its lack of materialisation into spoken words, invariably focus on what the masses seem to enjoy the most; cheap sexual thrills and an ability to gape at a woman’s body without being ostracized by the society.

Even though politicians and like-minded people seem to have woken up from their beauty sleep after the recent horrific rape case, trying to ban Honey Singh from producing more music is far from what this country needs. Just as his fans believe that he has moved from producing sexually violent songs to dance floor scorchers, blaming one man for his past isn’t going to help a society that is steeped in following practices that marginalise its women.

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DUB Speak

What, me feminist?

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Ignorance is quite captivating sometimes, its implications often deserve adequate ruminations regardless of whether they happen to be blissful or not. Of all the not so recent news in the North Indian world, what has recently got my goat is the blatant idiocy in the guise of tradition and honour. Now, harmless idiocy is harmless enough but the victimized women in these cases would surely testify it is anything but that. I wouldn’t call myself a feminist but I do agree with their fundamental belief, i.e. all women and men are equal, and their primary cause, to make this true in practise. Call me an idiot but there is no thing as a better sex, just better individuals if you must. For every Medha Patkar there is a Mayawati, and for every Manmohan Singh there is an Advani. Anyhow, lets come back to those two particularly fascinating headlines directly quoted from a couple of priggish village elders. One was regarding what you might now call ancient news, the Noida gang rape case; the geriatric bugger’s view of the grim situation was remarkably simple, “She was just raped, so what?” For a minute, the optimist in me pondered if it could be an error in translation, but then I had to rule out the possibility since the words were too crisp to seem inaccurate; there was no corrigendum over the week. This view was allegedly shared by most of the village; in their opinion, their boys had done no wrong, and they just might be right on this one. The throes of passion notwithstanding are these boys really to blame, having been brought up in such a society where the concept of the modesty of a woman is entirely foreign? Or take the recent Francis Gomes case. Even insanity tends to have a purpose and rationale, however crazy it might be. One could argue that all he did was take the notions of honour and security to an extremely obsessive and somewhat paranoiac level, right?

Then there was the other headline, “Only whores choose their partners”, this one coming from the Chaudhary of a Khap Panchayat. I would hate to contest his wisdom of years, but isn’t it the other way round? Either way, the point is clear, that with such regressive values ingrained in our society we cannot hope to easily overcome these atrocities that are doled out in alarming frequency. Protesting at Jantar Mantar might sound like a noble thing to do but the end result? At the most, you’ll get your picture printed in the next day’s newspaper complete with a profound placard in hand. Condemning such happenings from the comfort of our safe homes is easy, as this article itself might testify. However, if you happen to take it to a further activist level by actually going to these red zones and trying to change things around, may the Gods save your life and might they also punish you for your utter foolishness. These unreasonable and uncivilized practises have been going on and they would go on, and the only plausible way to counter them is, yes, you know it, education! Will Durant said, “Education is a progressive discovery of our ignorance”. It is this self-realization, which then leads to the acquisition of a reasonable temperament and consequently an atmosphere of change.

As the most fundamental principle of Economics goes, resources are limited but wants are not; we must make some compromises, particularly for being a developing nation. Instead of specializations and higher education, the focus must be inclined more towards improving quality of basic education for the masses. We are already producing enough engineers, doctors, lawyers and intellectuals; and yet the female half of the population continues to live in jeopardy even in areas that come under the label of ‘National Capital Region’. Come to think of it, we cannot even afford to employ such retrogressive methods on either side, for it would only further dampen our growth. Maybe we don’t need all those bulletproof planes and precision missiles that could pierce a baby’s bottom from three hundred miles away, or wait, maybe we do not need to make these compromises after all! Our netas are supposedly on an austerity drive, they wouldn’t be flying first class except in ‘certain’ cases. I guess austerity like everything else is relative, isn’t it?

“India Shining”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

“Incredible India”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

“Your ass may belong to Levis, but your soul belongs here”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

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