The spirit of South Asia and the power of the four-letter word love
Commemorating 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, remembering Kamla Bhasin
By Beena Sarwar
The annual international 16 Days of Activism against gender violence takes place this year without the pioneering feminist and poet Kamla Bhasin, even as her songs and poetry enliven events during this period and beyond.
The 16 Days are observed annually starting 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. They end 10 December, with international Human Rights Day. These are integrated issues that Kamla fought for all her life. And she did this with love, joy, music, poetry and compassion.
As she famously said, “I am a feminist, and I do not hate men. I am a feminist and I do not hate women who are not feminists. I am a feminist – and I laugh.”
Continue readingFiled under: Human rights, Progressive politics, Southasia, VAW | Tagged: 16 days of activism, gender violence, Kamla Bhasin, Sapan, south asia peace action network, Southasia | Leave a comment »
Journeys to democracy 