Feminist activist and writer Namita Bhandare will visit Scripps College February 10-12, 2015 as Scripps College’s Katharine Howard Miller Leader in Residence.
Namita Bhandare is a journalist with close to 25 years of reporting experience whose writing has appeared in publications including Sunday magazine, India Today magazine, and the daily, The Hindustan Times. She is India’s first consulting editor on gender with a daily newspaper, Mint, and continues to write a fortnightly column on social issues for The Hindustan Times.
As gender editor, Bhandare writes and commissions stories and series of stories on gender issues. Mint most recently carried a five-part series on acid attacks, commissioned and edited by Bhandare. In the past, she has commissioned and overseen series on human trafficking, sanitation, and work sectors where the gender gap is particularly bad. Her own recent stories include the misuse of a section in Indian law that criminalizes homosexual behavior, feminist Muslim groups battling for change within the Shariat, and the growing surrogacy industry in India. She is particularly interested in gender gaps in Indian politics and the law as an instrument of social change.
Bhandare has a Master’s degree in journalism from Stanford University. She is married with two daughters and lives in New Delhi.
February 10, 2015
Film Screening: Silent Screams: India’s Fight Against Rape
7:00 p.m., Humanities Auditorium
In December 2012 following the gang-rape and murder of a young medical student that shocked India. Bhandare introduces and discusses her documentary Silent Screams: India’s Fight Against Rape, created with Miditech for Channel News Asia, which won a Gold World Medal for ‘Best Investigative Report’ as well as two Bronze Gold Medals each in the ‘Current Affairs’ and ‘Human Concerns’ sections respectively at the 2014 New York Festivals International TV and Film Awards. Doors to the auditorium open at 6:30 p.m.
February 11, 2015
Hampton Lunch Lecture: “The state versus the people: When protestors and the state clash. Lessons from India”
12:00 p.m., Hampton Room, Malott Commons
As a result of the massive street protests against the 2012 rape and murder of a young medical student, Indian Parliament set up a three-member judicial commission to recommend changes and the result of this commission was the new Criminal Amendment Act of 2013 that imposes stricter punishments for crimes against women and also makes police criminally culpable for refusing to file complaints. Bhandare speaks on protests, government response, and what lessons can be applied for social movements. Attendees are welcomed to bring their lunch or purchase lunch at the Malott Commons Dining Hall. Coffee and Tea will be provided. Doors open at 11:45 a.m.
February 12, 2015
Photo: BBC News – Viewpoint
Public Lecture: “‘Stop Rape Now!’ Organization and Activism”
4:30 p.m., Humanities Auditorium
In December 2012, Bhandare launched a campaign called “Stop Rape Now!” on the website Change.org. The campaign quickly went viral and collected over 600,000 signatures, the largest ever to come out of India on Change.org. Bhandare will discuss the successful organization of the “Stop Rape Now!” movement and its outcomes. Doors to the auditorium open at 4:00 p.m.
For more information on any of these events, please contact the office of Public Events and Community Programs at (909) 607-9372.