On the occasion of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, Bodhana NGO in collaboration with Rotary Club of Doom Dooma organized a two-day 'Traveling Art and Film Festival' in Doomdooma Jatiya Vidyalaya on November 25 and 26.
The event facilitators comprised of one residential artist Biplop Pegu, one documentarian Alongbar Basumatary, two social activists Ashutosh Roy and Brihatrabar Pegu and the co-founder of Bodhana Nelson Deb and Project Coordinator Neha Arora.
The two day event covered film screenings, gender-based games, Menstrual Hygiene Management, and games on breaking the taboos followed by poster making. The event received an immense participation from the students of the school and teachers as well.
Bodhana in collaboration with local organizations, universities, schools, and colleges in each location is organizing the 16-days 'Traveling Art and Film Festival', from November 25 to December 10. Starting from Assam's Doom dooma the festival will end at Bongaigaon. The events for 'Traveling Art and Film Festival' are curated by Co-founder of Bodhana Nelson Deb.
Throughout the 16 days 'Traveling Art and Film Festival', 16 social activists from Project Maanush and hailing from different parts of Assam will be facilitating the workshops. As such each new location will have two dedicated activists who will be alternately replaced.
The primary target audience is youths from marginalized communities who are less likely to attend film screenings. The festival is a cultural avenue aimed at bringing them together around arts and politics, to celebrate the differences but also how much they have in common, and to create a safe space for difficult and taboo topics to be discussed.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership.
It is a global call for action to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls, actions to increase awareness, galvanize advocacy efforts, and share knowledge and innovations. The global theme for this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which will run from 25 November to 10 December 2022, is “Rise for Freedom”.
