“Madamji, aapko nahi jamega. Ladkiyon ka kaam nahi hain.’’
“Beta, shaadi kab kar rahi ho?”
This is just the tip of the godawful iceberg.
Whether it is physical abuse or a form of abuse that mentally and emotionally drains a woman, the list is endless and alarming. So, how do we go get the conversation going?
Talk, converse, initiate, involve and most importantly, create! Without further ado, here are nine illustrations that effectively stitch together emotions, indignation, and agency.
The conversation about sexism should never turn stale.
16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual, international women’s rights campaign which runs from 25th November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10th December (Human Rights Day) and includes other key humanitarian days.
The following illustrations are a part of ‘Illustrate for Impact’ initiative under the #FforFreedom campaign.
About the Illustration: My work is focused on the subject of Marital Rape. In this particular piece, I’ve taken references from mythology across multiple cultures to highlight just how universal and enduring stories of violence against women have been historically - be it spousal or otherwise.
In this piece, I have used white doves which have been ripped apart to demonstrate the decimation of peace and love. The black snake-like form with limbs symbolises the isolation felt when victims experience abuse, especially from people they love and trust. There is, then, no difference between strangers or lovers, as every figure becomes a reminder of fear. The faces of the women are blurred to represent a loss of self.
About the Illustration: The idea of bringing forth the importance of consent during any sexual interaction goes multiple layers beyond its discourse. The proposition “cogito ergo sum”, which translates to “I think therefore I am” beautifully represents the existing problem that we have in hand. To realise the importance of consent, one has to go through a core mind-set shift to realise that the body and soul of the other do not belong to an individual.
My artwork depicts our social reality where the bodies of women are often commodified and depicted as ‘meant for men’. The idea is so deeply ingrained that it undermines the agency of women and their right to say NO to our advances. With my illustration, I hope to start a dialogue about consent amongst people; irrespective of their genders so that it translates into the urgent social change that we all hope and fight for.
About the Illustration: Quite often, women are dissuaded from taking up career paths that require ‘too much travel’. This poster has been crafted along the lines of an instructional airline manual. Identical suitcases travel on the conveyor belt. The contents of the suitcases signify the skills required for serious career paths- logical reasoning and mathematical ability.
The suitcases pass through the scanner, only to reveal a major aberration in the contents of one. It sounds the alarm, and on further inspection, reveals the presence of female belongings. This discovery leads to clearance failure and eventual cancellation of the female’s journey.
Women, despite having identical skill sets, aren’t awarded the same opportunities as their male counterparts due to the prevalent social norms.
About the Illustration: As a woman of the millennium, I strongly believe that there is a shift in the paradigm of what we as women can and cannot do. We do not need permission. We are the source of life. We have the power of transforming our sorrows and our fears into something beautiful and vital.
We make magic everyday by being the best at what we do and nurture those who are dear to us. We maintain equilibrium. We carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We are all modern-day goddesses. Our weaknesses are our strengths.
We are evolving.
We are equal.
We are here.
About the Illustration: My illustration explores the dynamics of a modern day relationship where “a woman’s ability to take autonomous decisions is undermined and overruled by the man”.
The loudspeakers in the illustration are meant to represent the man’s freedom to vent his emotions with very little or no judgement, whereas the woman is gagged by society’s perception of how a woman should behave- she should always be polite and submissive (represented by the flower). Any behaviour contrary to that is ‘unbecoming’ of her, thus offering her little or no respect, while she is expected to show respect for the man.
About the Illustration: “Are you sure you can carry that MDF board to the workshop by yourself?” at my college wood workshop or “Madamji, aapko nahi jamega, ladkiyon ka kaam nahi hain” (Won’t suit you madam, this is not a girl’s job) at the airport while I wait to collect my bag from carousel; or even “Tanvee, let me make the drinks, girls can’t do all this.” while at a house party with my friends are just some of the statements I am sick of listening to. I have heard these statements in different versions at different stages of my life.
The fact that being a woman, or even better a petite woman, I was made to believe that I’m not capable of doing certain tasks. So many people say, “Oh, that’s not your cup of tea.” Why? Because I’m a woman? Or because I am a petite woman? Or because you think you have the strength to lift mountains while it’s my job to serve you a cup of tea to celebrate your victory?
Sorry to break your bubble, but IT IS MY CUP OF TEA.
About the Illustration: By means of my illustration, I am attempting to depict the undue importance of marriage over education in the old fashioned, traditional Indian household, which suffocates and chokes the girl and restricts her growth and development.
About the Illustration: They say that monsters lurk in every house. Monsters wearing familiar faces, haunting seemingly safe places. But while we acknowledge the existence of these monsters and the horrifying acts they commit, victims are often disbelieved, discouraged from talking about their trauma and shamed into silence.
And while the monsters thrive and grow - encouraged by the lack of opposition, the victims - suffocated by silence - slowly fade away and become invisible.
About the Illustration: Through my illustration, I have explored the chasm between Feminism and Feminazi in our society. The weighing balance in the centre is an important element, which signifies the basis of the Feminist Ideology- Equality between the Sexes.
The weighing balance on each side of portrait encompasses the current conception of a Feminist (on the right) and Feminazi (at the left) respectively. As the balance snaps, the woman and man struggle to hold it upright-symbolic of the fight against gender discrimination in the society.
#FforFreedom is a campaign being run by Oxfam India to challenge the regressive social norms that restrict a woman’s right to make her choices. These norms influence individuals, collectives of women and men, norm-setters and institutions.
We, at Quint Neon, along with Oxfam India, are trying to further the conversation around the abuse faced by women on a daily basis.
Stay tuned for more.
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