‘The politics of sisterhood creates a butterfly effect,’ said C.S Chandrika in the session titled A room of one’s own: Right to physical and social space, featuring the activist Bindu Ammini.
Radhika C Nair, the moderator, started the session with C.S Chandrika, who shared her insights on the misconcepts people have about the notion of sexual liberation. There has been a cry for women’s rights irrespective of places and it is the politics of sisterhood that creates a butterfly effect leading to the success of such global movements, noted Chandrika.
The free spirited and nomadic life experienced by Bindu Ammini is one of the reason for the unflinching commitment she poses towards ensuring gender and social justice, noted Radhika in the prelude to the session. Bindu Ammini who stands up for her rights, stood up when she started talking about the marginalised voices involved in protests. The government interference in the cyberspace is a violation of an individual’s freedom, said Ammini. The visibility which social media offers becomes perilous with government interference, she said citing the removal of section 66 A of the IT Act.
“The law and judiciary does not support the fights of the less privileged. The worst case scenario is the pitting of women against women and minority against minority. One cannot expect to win a struggle when you have to fight against the group you are fighting for,” added Bindu Ammini citing the example of the protests that happened in the wake of women entering the Sabarimala shrine. Keeping a low profile will not prove to be a solution in the long run quoted Ammini as her response to the advices she was given after the incident which made a mark in history.
A space for expression is possible thorough literature, agreed the panellists. The space which is created through struggles must not be exclusive to its point of origin, but must be present irrespective of their home or workplace. Social exclusion is a demotivating factor in most movements. Women tend to become silent when they move from personal to social space. How to recover the lost voice is a question to ponder and the answer to finding a space for women.