First Reading of Spoiled

Friday, September 26 at 7 PM Theaterlab 357 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor Tickets $15 A benefit for the League of Professional Theater Women's Gilder/Coigney International Award. For the past two years, I've been following recent trends in violence against women (VAW) in India and the US: reading about the background, talking to people, researching, writing, arguing. Along the way it became apparent that the focus was NOT really women, it was men. What captured my attention were the social and cultural forces that produced male abusers. Where had these men and boys come from? Teenagers, especially in India, were…

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College Campus Assaults – Call for Comments

An article in today's New York Times, Reporting Rape and Wishing She Hadn't, is one of many recent print and online pieces addressing campus rapes and sexual assaults.  These incidents are both disturbing and yet not at all surprising – the tea leaves have all been in place for a very long time. Our forthcoming play, “Spoiled,” explores masculine self-images behind gender violence in the USA and India. In preparation, I would love to get comments on this topic. For example: Why do some men come to see these type of assaults as acceptable? What really are the cultural influences shaping young…

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Are Women in India Safer Today?

Here's the question: after the wave of publicity following the Delhi rape of December 2012, and actions by the government in response, how's it going?  Do women feel safer?  Might they actually BE safer? Thanks to the fantastic work of ICRW - the International Center for Research on Women - we may soon know. In 2012, an ICRW survey asked about public safety in Delhi. The results found that 90% of women and girls had experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Ninety percent?  Did you catch that right?  In my book, that's pretty close to everyone.  That should…

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The Catalyst Conference

Attending The Catalyst Conference Wednesday and Thursday this week: Addressing Sexual Violence in India: Transforming Attitudes, Changing Behaviours. Five key issues will be addressed: Men's Attitudes Toward Women in India Access to Education Economic Opportunities Arts and Media The Law and How it is Implemented Read more about the conference or apply to attend here.

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Apne Aap

Yes, that's Gloria Steinem and yes, this is a link to Apne Aap. But the connection is apt. Steinem is 'mother' to many a feminist organization, and Apne Aap is a fitting daughter.  This book of Steinem's writings was edited and annotated by Ruchira Gupta, head of Apne Apt, with the goal of spreading Steinem's works to an Indian audience. Apne Aap was founded by twenty-two women from Mumbai's red light district, with a vision of "a world where no woman could be bought or sold."  Those twenty-two women had been part of an award winning documentary (The Selling of Innocents,…

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Jagori: Awaken Women!

I had read many of Jagori's studies in the past but I was thrilled to know that a Jagori representative would be at the ORF Conference on Women and Safe Cities yesterday.  It is a delight to have organizations such as this is in Delhi - they are right on top of key issues facing women in India today, providing material and advocacy in a thorough, well-researched manner that pulls no punches.  Among other things, they have conducted detailed safety audits looking at the exact impediments to women's safety. JAGORI means "awaken, women!" and their mission is to inform, inspire…

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ORF Conference on Women and Safe Cities

On Wednesday I'll be attending the ORF (Observer Research Foundation) conference on women in cities Half a Billion Locked In: Perspectives on Safe Cities and Women Empowerment. ORF strives to provide a forum for reasoned debate and policy formulation on the key issues confronting India today.  The ability of women in India - those half a billion! - to move freely without unreasonable fear is fundamental not only for human and civil rights but also for economic development, educational advances, health care, and political participation.

  • Post category:IndiaMusingsWomen
  • Reading time:1 mins read
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“SPOILED?” – Theatre

Work continues on the development of Spoiled? (working title), a play exploring violence against women (VAW) and images of masculinity in India and the USA.  In collaboration with actor and playwright Elizabeth Hess, we hope to bring this to the stage, somewhere in the US, by next November. The seeds of this project were sown a few years ago, but we finally got together last December and a plan emerged.  See more under my Current Projects tab and stay tuned for updates.

  • Post category:IndiaMusingsWomen
  • Reading time:1 mins read
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Petition to End Child Marriage

Equality Now Girls under 18 are forced into marriage throughout the world. Equality Now has been on the forefront of advocacy to end this practice.  "It is a human rights violation that legitimizes abuse of girls under the guise of culture, honor, tradition and religion. When a young girl is married and gives birth, a vicious cycle of poverty, poor health, curtailed education, violence, instability and legal and other discrimination begins." You can help: sign the petition.  This will be presented in June to governments attending the Human Rights Council session. Read more about how you can help Equality Now here.

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