Comic Book 'Priya's Shakti' Takes on Fight Against Gender-based Violence in India | Link TV

Comic Book 'Priya's Shakti' Takes on Fight Against Gender-based Violence in India
“Priya’s Shakti” is a multimedia project to raise awareness of violence against women in India. Readers use "augmented reality" technology to watch a pop-up comic book animation and listen to audio using an app on their smartphones.
The story features Priya, a rape victim-turned-superhero and a character developed from the stories of many real-life victims. The determined Priya partners up with Hindu Goddess Parvati to stop the gender-based violence that affects hundreds of thousands of women in India. The virtual reality pop-up book uses the comic strip format to reach a wide audience in India and around the world. "Sexual violence is NOT just an Indian issue," says Ram Devineni, the director of "Priya’s Shakti."
In this Trust Docs video, Devineni speaks to the Thomson Reuters Foundation about the inspiration and motivation behind his work, which began after the infamous December 2012 Delhi bus gang rape incident. As the project developed, he says a lot of attention went into respecting the sensitivity of the subject matter and retaining the integrity of Hindu mythology. "This was a project designed by Indians, for Indians, about India," he said.
The project calls for action against sexual harassment and violence. "Although digital downloads are great and Facebook likes are wonderful, I don't equate them with actual social impact," Devineni said. The team developed workshops in Mumbai and Delhi for teenagers to create their own one-page comic using stories from their communities or personal experiences. The teenagers drew their comics and were paired up with mentors and sociologists to discuss the social justice issues at hand.
"There's something very profound about a teenager drawing a woman who has been raped or a woman who has had acid thrown on her face," he said. "It's a very active endeavor and very profound."
Full Episodes
-
Trust Docs
Trust Docs
E1: Women's Work
Episode 1
The women featured in this episode are giving a new meaning to the term “women’s work.”
-
Trust Docs
Trust Docs
E2: Colombia's Ghosts of War
Episode 2
As rebels hand over weapons, an entire generation of Colombians are emerging from the conflict to rebuild their nation.
-
Trust Docs
Trust Docs
E3: Life in Refugee Camps
Episode 3
A glimpse into the lives of immigrants living in refugee camps reveals their hunger for human rights and an opportunity to start over.
-
Trust Docs
Trust Docs
E4: Searching for Home
Episode 4
Immigrants around the world face unbelievable challenges on their journey searching for a new place to call home.
-
Trust Docs
Trust Docs
E5: Adapting to Climate Change
Episode 5
Discover how community leaders are adjusting, engaging with the international community and seeking innovative methods to find sustainable ways of living.
- 1 of 3
- next ›
Upcoming Airdates
Life In Refugee Camps
Episode 3
More than a political buzzword, refugees are real people with real fears driving their decisions, and they take great risks to protect their families. A glimpse into the lives of immigrants living in refugee camps reveals their hunger for human rights and an opportunity to start over.
What You Can Do
Learn more about the topics covered in this episode with the following organizations:
Searching for Home
Episode 4
Immigrants around the world face unbelievable challenges on their journey searching for a new place to call home. While much of the reporting focuses on the backlash refugees face from their new host nations, many communities are opening their arms and minds.
Background image: Feryal Aldahash looks down on her third daughter Valgerour Halla at their home in Reykjavik, Iceland. January 8 2017. | Thomson Reuters Foundation/Filippo Brachetti
Adapting to Climate Change
Episode 5
Climate change affects us all, and less-developed communities, that are more closely tied to the land, often suffer more directly from environmental transformation. The changes include dramatic fluctuation of water sources, diminishing crop yields, and failure of long-held farming techniques. Discover how community leaders are adjusting, engaging with the international community and seeking innovative methods and new technologies to find sustainable ways of living.
Breaking Gender Stereotypes
Episode 6
People all over the world are confronting traditional norms around gender and sexuality that are difficult to break. Despite opposition and discrimination from their communities, these people are armed with the courage to truly be themselves. The small steps people take to assert their role in society, can result in major leaps for future generations.
Popular Videos
-
Based on the true story of Mohammed Assaf, the Palestinian singer who crossed borders and defied the odds to win the second season of "Arab Idol."
KCET Original -
In this segment of "Earth Focus" we examine the factors leading to a new Haitian community growing in the U.S.-Mexico border town of Tijuana.
KCET Original -
More than 600,000 Mongolian nomadic herders have moved to the city in search of work after extreme weather has killed their cattle.
KCET Original -
A documentary about the burning of wood at an industrial scale for energy.
KCET Original -
Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the U.S. House of Representatives is drafting articles of of impeachment charges against President Trump.
KCET Original
Expiring Soon
-
The secret tactics used by global chemical giant Monsanto, to protect its billion-dollar business and its star product, the weed killer, Roundup.
-
As protestors in Hong Kong take to the streets to fight the rising power of China, a younger generation of Taiwanese is also confronting an increasingly hardline attitude from its nearest neighbor.
-
Ukraine is the new "go-to" destination for couples desperate to be parents.
-
The attempt to identify human remains found in Arizona's Sonora Desert underscores the plight of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the United States.
- 1 of 8
- next ›
Comments