Practices of Care and Survivance: Feminist Activism and Sexual Violence in India

• In Event: Women-ing Movements: Understanding Gendered Mobilisation in Social Movements

Abstract

Since independence, India has witnessed large-scale protests in the aftermath of high-profile cases of rape and sexual violence. Feminist activists have played a central role in these protests: they have generated public support, lobbied for governmental change, and worked collaboratively to amplify voices. This research is focused on the time periods between these episodes of public attention when outrage cedes to the banality of everyday harassment. These periods of “slow violence” are characterized by societal indifference to sexual and gender-based violence, and by the normalization of daily acts of harassment. Beyond high-profile cases and sporadic legal reforms, what have feminist organizations in India attempted to do to institute social change given historically entrenched patriarchy and misogyny? What are their sites of activism when sexual violence is not a priority in the public imagination? How do they sustain their organizations and commitment through practices of care and survivance? Through ethnography and interviews with activists in India, this paper explores how these practices of care impact the approach and success of the movements, and the ways in which these practices can result in a care infrastructure that changes public policies and opinion.

Author

• Dipali Anumol, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy