Jasmeen Patheja is the founder of Blank Noise. Jasmeen was born and raised in Kolkata. Her family, traditional Punjabi business people migrated from Burma in the 1960s. Jasmeen attended one of the city’s best schools, but was always told she should prepare to be married by the time she turned twenty-one. Jasmeen always had the urge to use her creativity to make a difference. After studying psychology, Jasmeen was admitted to the esteemed Srishti School of Art Design and Technology in Bangalore. Wherever she went, she was haunted by the experience of being harassed on the streets, even as a young girl wearing her school uniform. In Bangalore, she knew her peers at the Srishti School had experienced similar sexual harassment.
During her time in college, Jasmeen found ways to express her fundamental belief that an artist should engage directly in the process of social transformation. With her interest in the dynamics between the artist and the audience and public artwork, she produced Blank Noise as her final project for a course on communications for social change.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
● The state of Defenselessness of the body is our birthright
● Defenselessness is a positive thing
● Be in our power everywhere not just in public spaces
● Building a committed community to intervene and be responsible in safeguarding women
● Creating a safe space for survivors to be heard
Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker
● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6
● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka
● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in
QUOTE: “If everyone takes up the responsibility of caring for and protecting one another, while refusing to tolerate sexual violence and being unapologetic about it, our country and the world would be a safer place to live in.”