“Speaking of Assault: Expressions and their Histories" by Ms V Geetha, 20 March 2019
Speaking of Assault: Expressions and their Histories [Audio)
Speaker: V Geetha
Feminist writer and activist, Chennai
Chairperson: Hemangini Gupta
Postdoctoral Associate, Urban and Mobility Studies Programme, NIAS
Date: 20 March 2019
Abstract: The MeToo# phenomenon in the Indian context has generated a plethora of public expressions - of not only outrage and anger, but also 'representations' of violence. Two interrelated aspects of such representations bear examination: the de-eroticising of assault and the politicising of sexual shame. I hope to understand either, by mapping observations and arguments from the present onto homologous expressions from specific moments and locations within Indian women's movements. My intention is twofold: to reiterate the importance of historical memory even as we recognise and understand the uniqueness of the present.
About the speaker: V. Geetha is publisher and co-director of Tara Books, Chennai and a well-known scholar working on feminism and caste. Some of her path-breaking works include Patriarchy (Stree 2007), Gender (Stree 2002) and Towards a Non-Brahmin Millenium (Bhaktal & Sen 1998). She is currently researching the works and thoughts of Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
Date:
Wednesday, March 20, 2019