Women of the World Stand with Kashmir, Stand with the Women of Kashmir

The following is a statement of solidarity with the women of Kashmir issued by women of all countries including India as well as national and international women’s organisations.

On August 30, 2019, the United Nations’ International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, Parveena Ahangar, mother of Javaid, a 16-year old who was ‘disappeared’ by the paramilitary forces in Kashmir in 1990, mourned again. “Every year, the families of APDP (Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons) come together on August 30. This is our way of reassuring each other that we are not alone in our grief. Yet this year we have been strangled, and there was no coming together because through its siege, India has denied us even the right to mourn.”

Kashmir under Siege, Kashmir Caged, Kashmir Imprisoned

Analogies abound for the Indian Government‘s actions of August 5, 2019 when it unilaterally terminated the semi-autonomous constitutional status granted to the region as a condition of its accession to India, and bifurcated it into two directly ruled Union Territories. This action was preceded in the previous week by a military blockade, a state of undeclared emergency, and an unprecedented media and communications clampdown. An estimated 4000 Kashmiris including politicians, business leaders, lawyers, human rights defenders, chartered accountants, journalists, teachers, and students, have been arbitrarily detained, some are being held without charges or trial, under administrative detention laws such as the Public Safety Act, 1978 while the grounds of detention and whereabouts of a large number, including children as young as ten, remain unknown. An unknown number of people have been moved to prisons outside the State of Jammu & Kashmir. The Indian Government continues to declare that all is ‘normal’ in the face of credible and mounting evidence of a healthcare and humanitarian crisis, civilian deaths and blindings and other injuries in pellet-gun attacks by the Indian security forces, torture, molestations, and the severe curtailment of freedom of opinion, expression, and information; assembly and movement; and religious freedoms.

As the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi addresses the UN General Assembly on September 27 and reasserts this claim of ‘normalcy’, we, the women of the world, urge the global community to remember that eight million Kashmiris will still be held hostage by close to one million Indian security personnel. They are still stripped of their constitutional rights, fundamental freedoms and liberties. The promise of plebiscite given to them at the time of their accession to India, broken. Their right to self-determination, throttled. Their control over their lands, shattered.

Like colonised peoples anywhere, the future of the Kashmiri people is deeply uncertain. Their imprisonment is strengthened by the silence of world leaders, international civil society, the near-complete gag on the media, as well as Indians who have celebrated the consti-tutionalised annexation of Kashmir, and believed the narrative that this is being done for their own good. One particularly pernicious strand of this discourse has been that the move will benefit women, Dalits and sexual minorities by granting them constitutional rights so far denied to them.

Not only does this bolster the colonial tropes of a backward Muslim-majority region whose women are in need of rescue by the civilisa-tionally ‘superior’ people of India, it is based on outright falsehoods, misinformation, misre-presentations and false equivalences, that are being deliberately amplified, including by high state functionaries, despite being repeatedly debunked by experts and lawyers. The government’s concern for the women of Kashmir might have rung truer if members of the ruling party were not witnessed publicly gloating over their new found sexual access to Kashmiri women, now that Indian men can finally get “Kashmiri brides” as though Kashmiri women are spoils of war.

The Indian Government claims that Kashmir needs ‘development’, but its social development indices, including gender indicators, such as maternal mortality, age of marriage, child sex ratio and female literacy, are better than the Indian average. Land reforms enabled by Article 35A have reduced social and caste inequities and landlessness, and brought relative prosperity. While acknowledging that militarisation and militarised sexual impunity exacerbates both public and private patriarchy, we need to listen to Kashmiri women, when they say, as they did to a recent Fact Finding delegation from India: “We are capable of fighting our own battles. We don’t want our oppressors to claim to liberate us!”

The Women of Kashmir should Know 

As successive governments in Delhi have systematically violated all democratic norms in Kashmir, it is the women of Kashmir who have been at the forefront of the struggles for justice, truth and accountability for widespread human rights violations particularly sexual violence and enforced disappearances. They have stepped out in protest, been jailed, sexually assaulted, and still risen to make sure they are heard.

As feminists, women’s rights activists, peace, democratic and civil rights’ activists, lawyers, academics, students, journalists, scientists, artists, writers, etc., we raise our voice today in salute and solidarity with the women of Kashmir. About 500 individual women and women’s organisations from about 30 countries across the globe—ranging from South Asian nations to the US, Iran to Indonesia, Afghanis-tan to Argentina, Europe to Mexico, Israel, Palestine, Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa—stand with them in this, their darkest moment. 

We condemn the actions of the Indian Government and their dealing with a political problem as a territorial one.

• We call for an end to the culture of fear and terror, violence and assault that has been cultivated in the state for far too long.

• We speak out against the continued detention of countless people of the state and demand their immediate release.

• We seek an immediate end to the Internet shutdown, lift on all restrictions on movement and communications, and a restoration of real ‘normalcy’.

• We call for restrictions be lifted in order to allow the independent media in Kashmir to carry out its duty of reporting facts and informing the public, without fear or favour

• We urge the Indian Government to step back from its current aggressions and stop the militarisation that has failed to solve the problem since independence.

• We seek a reinstatement of consultative processes with the people of Jammu and Kashmir on any action that concerns them, their lives and their community.

• We call for an end to the smokescreens of Kashmir being an ‘internal matter’ etc., to avoid meaningful dialogue. For that is the only way to evolve a long lasting peaceful solution to Kashmir.

Because like the women of Kashmir, we have also, all too often, been told that the violence and control we face in the home, family, community and nation is an ‘internal matter’, not to be exposed to the world. But we all have lived and learnt the reality, that it is only in breaking our silence that we break the shackles of our oppressions. And in that fight, we StandWithKashmir, Stand With The Women Of Kashmir!

For, as Rev. Dr Martin Luther King famously said, “No one is free until we are all free.”

Statement issued and endorsed by:

Individuals—India

1. Vasanth Kannabiran, Asmita Resource Centre, Hyderabad.

2. Devaki Jain, Economist, New Delhi.

3. Uma Chakravarti, Feminist historian & Filmmaker, New Delhi.

4. Syeda Hameed, writer, activist, Delhi.

5. Roshmi Goswami, Researcher and human writer activist, Shillong.

6. Sarojini N.B., Health activist, New Delhi.

7. Annie Raja, NFIW.

8. Srilatha Batliwala, Independent gender/women’s rights consultant.

9. Flavia Agnes, Mumbai.

10. Lalita Ramdas, Feminist-Activist-Educator, PIPFPD, CNDP.

11. Meena Kandasamy, novelist, poet and activist

12. Nivedita Menon, JNU, New Delhi.

13. Shrimoyee Nandini Ghosh, Lawyer and legal researcher, Delhi.

14. Farah Naqvi, Writer and Activist

15. Bishakha Datta, Film-maker/Writer, Mumbai.

16. Govind Kelkar, Independent Gender consultant.

17. Nandini Sundar, University of Delhi.

18. Ritu Menon - Writer, Feminist publisher, New Delhi.

19. Imrana Qadeer, Distinguished Prof., Council for Social Development, New Delhi.

20. Rosemary Dzuvichu, Ph.D—Advisor, Naga Mother’s Association, Kohima.

21. Pratiksha Baxi, Academic, New Delhi.

22. Kalyani Menon-Sen, Feminist Learning Partnerships, New Delhi.

23. Mary E. John, Academic, New Delhi.

24. Pamela Philipose, Journalist, Delhi.

25. Farida Khan, Retd Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi.

26. Freny Manecksha, Independent Journalist, Mumbai.

27. Chhaya Datar, Mumbai.

28. Kalpana Kannabiran—Council for Social Development, Hyderabad.

29. Dr Anita Ghai, New Delhi.

30. Dr Sagari R. Ramdas, Secunderabad.

31. Nalini Nayak, Trivandrum.

32. Monisha Behal, New Delhi.

33. Ammu Joseph, Journalist, Bangalore.

34. A. Mangai, Theatre person/academic/activist Chennai.

35. A.R. Vasavi, Farmer’s Rights Activist, Delhi.

36. Aarthi Pai, Lawyer and activist, Bangalore.

37. Abha Bhaiya.

38. Abha Dev Habib, Miranda House, University of Delhi.

39. Ajitha G.S, publisher and editor, Bangalore.

40. Albertina Almeida, Goa.

41. Aleyamma Vijayan, Trivandrum Kerala.

42. Amarinder Kaur, Visthar.

43. Amla Pisharody, Independent Researcher, Bangalore.

44. Amrita Gogoi—Researcher, Women & Conflict, Dibrugarh.

45. Anchita Ghatak, Kolkata.

46. Angela Rangad, Social activist, TUR, Shillong.

47. Annie Thomas, Journalist, Delhi.

48. Anu Aaron, South India AIDS Action Programme, Chennai.

49. Anuradha Banerji, Independent Researcher, New Delhi.

50. Anuradha Chatterji, Women’s Rights Activist, New Delhi.

51. Anuradha Kapoor, Social Activist, Kolkata.

52. Anurag Modi, Shramik Adivasi Sangathan.

53. Anurita P. Hazarika, woman activist, Guwahati.

54. Archana Dwivedi, Delhi.

55. Archismita Choudhury, Mumbai.

56. Arshia Sattar, Academic, Bangalore.

57. Arshie Qureshi, New Delhi, India.

58. Aruna Burte.

59. Arundhati Dhuru, National Alliance of People’s Movements.

60. Ashima Roy Chowdhury, feminist activist, New Delhi.

61. Bharati Jagannathan, Delhi University.

62. Bharati, Feminist Activist, Jaipur.

63. Bhavna Jaimini, Architect, Mumbai.

64. Bijoya Sawian—writer, educationist, Dehradun.

65. Bindhulakshmi Pattadath, Associate Professor, TISS Mumbai.

66. Bondita Acharya, Jorhat, Assam.

67. Brinelle D’Souza, TISS, Mumbai.

68. Chitra Joshi.

69. D. W. Karuna, visiting faculty, Azim Premji University.

70. Deepa V, Health Activist, Delhi.

71. Deeptha Achar.

72. Deepti Sharma, queer feminist activist, Delhi

73. Dimple Oberoi Vahali, Delhi.

74. Dr Manasee (Nadi) Palshikar, author, Pune.

75. G. Arunima, Professor, Centre for Women’s Studies, JNU.

76. Gargi Sen, Film-maker, Delhi.

77. Gaura Narayan.

78. Gayatri Menon, Bangalore.

79. Geeta Seshu, Journalist, Mumbai.

80. Ghazala Jamil, JNU.

81. Gitanjali Mahadevan, Retired Doctor, Benga-luru.

82. Gitanjali Rao, Film-maker, Mumbai.

83. Hamsila Samuel Rajan, Bengaluru.

84. Himanjali Sankar, Editorial Director, Simon & Schuster.

85. Huma Khan, Lucknow.

86. Indira Chakravarthi, Public Health Researcher, Delhi.

87. Indira N. Consultant R & D, Hyderabad.

88. Jabeen Merchant, Film Editor, Mumbai.

89. Jahanvi Pai.

90. Jalashaya, film maker, Mumbai.

91. Jaya Sharma, Activist and Writer, New Delhi.

92. Jhelum Roy, Jadavpur University.

93. Jhuma Sen, Jindal Global Law School, New Delhi.

94. Jyoti Punwani, journalist, Mumbai.

95. Jyotsna Murthy.

96. Kaushiki Rao, Counsellor, Bangalore.

97. Kavin Malar, Writer/Activist, Chennai.

98. Kavita Panjabi.

99. Kavita Srivastav, PUCL, Jaipur.

100. Khairunnisa Nakathorige, Department of English, MANUU, Hyderabad.

101. Kirtana Kumar.

102. Kochurani Abraham, Feminist Theologian, Indian Christian Women’s Movement (ICWM), Kerala.

103. Krishna Roy, Women’s Rights Activist, AIPWA, Kolkata.

104. Lata Singh, New Delhi.

105. Laxmi Murthy, Journalist, Bengaluru.

106. Lubaina Suares, Teacher, Mumbai.

107. Madhu Bhushan, writer/activist/researcher, Bangalore.

108. Madhu Sarin, Psychoanalyst, Delhi.

109. Madhura Chakraborty.

110. Malini Ghose, Educationist and researcher, New Delhi.

111. Mallika Virdi, Maati, Uttarakhand.

112. Mamatha Karollil, Assistant Professor, New Delhi.

113. Manasi Asher, Researcher and Activist, Himachal Pradesh.

114. Manasi, Educator-Learner, Pathashaala, Tamil Nadu.

115. Manorama Sharma—Retd. Prof. North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, and Academic Advisor, Assam School of Journalism, Guwahati.

116. Masooma Ranalvi, Delhi.

117. Meenakshi Kapoor, Researcher, Dharmshala.

118. Miriam Chandy Menacherry, Filmmaker.

119. Monalisa Tiamerenla Changkija, Poet and Editor, Nagaland Page, Nagaland.

120. Mubashira Zaidi, ISST, New Delhi.

121. Nandini Mazumder, Devleopment profes-sional, Delhi.

122. Nandini Rao, Women’s Rights Trainer, New Delhi.

123. Nandita Narain, Associate Professor, St Stephen’s College.

124. Nasir Tyabji, Former Director and Professor, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi.

125. Navaneetha Mokkil, Assistant Professor, Center for Women’s Studies, JNU.

126. Navsharan Singh, Activist and Researcher, New Delhi.

127. Nazreen Fazlbhoy.

128. Neha Gupta, Journalist, Delhi.

129. Niloufer Bhagwat, Lawyer, Mumbai.

130. Nimi Ravindran, Writer/Theatre Director, Bangalore.

131. Nisha Abdulla, Theatre-maker, and Artistic Director, Qabila, Bangalore.

132. Nisha Biswas, Kolkata.

133. Nitasha Kaul.

134. Nonibala Narengbam, Manipur.

135. Padma Velaskar, Retd professor, Mumbai.

136. Padmaja Shaw, Hyderabad.

137. Pallavi M.D., Singer/Actor, Bangalore.

138. Payal Dhar, Author, New Delhi.

139. Ponni Arasu, Historian and Women’s Rights Activist.

140. Ponnuthai Sappani, President Kalanjium Women Farmers Association, India.

141. Praveena Kodoth, Trivandrum.

142. Priti Kodikal, Doctor, Bengaluru.

143. Purnima Gupta, Delhi.

144. Purwa Bharadwaj, Delhi.

145. Radha Gopalan, Educator and Researcher on Social and Ecological Justice, Visiting Faculty, Azim Premji University, Thiruvananthapuram

146. Radhika Chitkara, Legal Researcher, New Delhi.

147. Radhika Khajuria.

148. Radhika Menon.

149. Rajashri Dasgupta, Independent Journalist, Kolkata.

150. Rashee Mehra, Senior Associate — IIHS, Delhi.

151. Rashmi Sawhney, Associate Professor, Christ University.

152. Ridhima Mehra, Delhi

153. Rinchin, India.

154. Rita Manchanda, Independent researcher and human rights activist, Pak-India Forum for Peace and Democracy.

155. Ritu Ghosh.

156. Rohini Hensman, Writer and Independent Scholar, Mumbai.

157. Roopa Ratnam.

158. Roopashri Sinha, Freelancer researcher and K M consultant, Mumbai.

159. Runu Chakraborty, New Delhi.

160. Rupa Chinai, journalist and author, Mumbai.

161. Rupsa Malik, Women’s Rights Activist, New Delhi.

162. Rushda, NFIW, New Delhi.

163. Sabah Hasan, Artist, Mumbai.

164. Sabah Khan, Mumbai.

165. Sabeena Gadihoke

166. Sadhna Arya, Delhi University, New Delhi.

167. Sadhna Saxena.

168. Safina Nabi, independent journalist.

169. Sajaya Kakarla, Hyderabad Women and Transgender Organisations Joint Action Committee.

170. Sakina Kurawadwala, former Professor and current HR head, Mumbai.

171. Sameera Khan, Journalist/Writer, Mumbai.

172. Sandhya Srinivasan, Mumbai.

173. Sanghamitra Malik, Singer & Activist.

174. Sangita Chatterji.

175. Sanjana Gaind, Women’s Rights Activist, Delhi/Calcutta.

176. Sarah Mathews.

177. Satnam Kaur, feminist activist, New Delhi.

178. Seema Baquer, Disability Rights Activist and Lawyer, New Delhi.

179. Sehba Taban, India.

180. Shabnam Hashmi, Social activist - ANHAD (Act Now for Harmony and Democracy)

181. Shakun Doundiyakhed, Begaluru.

182. Shalini Singh, Women’s Rights Activist, New Delhi.

183. Shanta Gokhale, Writer, Mumbai.

184. Sharanya Nayak.

185. Sheba Chhachhi, Artist.

186. Sheba George, Ahmedabad.

187. Sheelu Francis, President, Women’s Collective, Tamil Nadu.

188. Sheila Kumar, Author/Editor, Bangalore.

189. Sherin Balachandran, Architect, Bangalore.

190. Shewli, Social activist.

191. Shifa Haq, Delhi.

192. Shipra Nigam, New Delhi.

193. Shiva Pathak, Artist, Bangalore.

194. Shivani, activist.

195. Shraddha Chickerur, University of Hyderabad.

196. Shweta Vachani, Editor and Web Developer, New Delhi.

197. Simona Sawhney, IIT Delhi.

198. Sister Leelamma N.T, Advocate, Kottayam, India.

199. Soma Marik, India.

200. Sonia Jabbar, Filmmaker.

201. Srinidhi Raghavan, Gender and disability rights activist, Hyderabad

202. Stella Issac, President, Kalanjium Unorgani-sed Workers Union.

203. Sudarsana Kundu, Social development professional, Hyderabad.

204. Sujata Patel, National Fellow, IIAS.

205. Sumi Krishna, writer, researcher, teacher, Bangalore.

206. Sumitra Sunder, Curator/Artist, Bengaluru.

207. Sunanda Bhat, film-maker, Bangalore.

208. Sundari Perumal, Trustee, Tamilnadu Resource Team.

209. Sunita Vishwanathan.

210. Sushama Varma, Activist, Bangalore.

211. Susheela Mahadevan, Retired Teacher, Bengaluru

212. Sushma Veerappa.

213. Sushobha Barve, Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation.

214. Svati Joshi, academic, Ahmedabad.

215. Swathi Seshadri, Researcher, Bangalore.

216. Swati Paranjape, Thane.

217. Uma Shankari Naren.

218. Uma V. Chandru, Bangalore.

219. Usha Raman, Department of Communi-cation, University of Hyderabad.

220. Vahida Nainar, PH.D scholar, Mumbai.

221. Vaishnavi K., gender and sexuality activist, New Delhi.

222. Vani Subramanian, Feminist activist and filmmaker, Delhi.

223. Vijay Rukmini Rao, Social/feminist activist, Hyderabad.

224. Vineeta Bal, Scientist, Pune.

225. Virginia Saldanha, Secretary, Indian Women Theologians Forum, Goa.

226. Yasmeen Lukmani, University of Bombay, Mumbai.

Individuals—International

1. Rashida Manjoo—Professor University of Cape Town, South Africa, Former UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women.

2. Charlotte Bunch—Distinguished Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, Rutgers—The State University of New Jersey, USA.

3. Savitri Goonesekere—Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and former member of UN CEDAW.

4. Shanthi Dairiam—Founder IWRAW-AP, Former UN CEDAW Committee member.

5. Sultana Kamal—Human rights activist, Chair, South Asians For Human Rights, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

6. Kamala Chandrakirana—Human rights defender, Former Chair, UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women in Law and Practice & Komnas Perempuan.

7. Haley Duschinki, Ohio State University, USA.

8. Anne F. Stenhammer—Former Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elected Representative Regional Parliament of Nordland and Fauske, Norway.

9. Hameeda Hossain, human rights activist and academic, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

10. Betsy Hartmann, Professor Emerita of Development Studies, Hampshire College, USA.

11. Susan Abulhawa, Palestinian American writer and human rights activist, Yardley, Pennsyl-vania, US.

12. Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Distinguished Prof. of Women’s and Gender Studies & Dean’s Professor of the Humanities, Syracuse University, US.

13. Yamini Mishra, Human rights advocate, London, UK.

14. Patricia Viseur Sellers—International Criminal Lawyer, Brussels, Belgium.

15. Denise Dora, Human Rights lawyer, Brazil, member UN Women Civil Society Advisory Group, Latin America.

16. Rajeswari Sunder Rajan, Prof NYU, US.

17. Amrita Basu, Amherst, US.

18. Geeta Misra, New York, USA.

19. Amrit Wilson, writer and activist, UK.

20. Amrita Chhachhi, Netherlands.

21. Amrita Shodhan, Visiting Scholar, SAR, SOAS, University of London.

22. Angana Chatterji, Feminist Scholar, University of California, Berkley, USA.

23. Ania Loomba, Academic, USA.

24. Dalia Sachs, University of Haifa, Israel

25. Judy Norsegian, Boston US.

26. Sima Samar, Human Rights Advocate, Kabul, Afghanistan.

27. Afina van der Veen, The Hague, The Netherlands.

28. Akanksha Awal, Post Doctoral Fellow, Univ of Oxford, UK.

29. Aklima Ferdous, Rights activist, Bangladesh.

30. Akshara Ravishankar, University of Chicago, USA.

31. Alessandra Mezzadri, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, Department of Development Studies, SOAS, London.

32. Alma Khasawnih, PhD, USA.

33. Alouki Labbe Rachel, filmmaker, native rights, Montreal, Canada.

34. Amarinder Kaur.

35. Ambreen Ahmad, Rozan, Pakistan.

36. Amena Mohsin, Professor, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

37. Amita Asavari, PhD student, Department of Sociology, University of Connecticut, USA.

38. Amrisol Riuz, Resurg.

39. Amrita Dhar, Ohio State University, USA.

40. Amrita Pande, Assoc. Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

41. Angela Waldegg, Artist, Vienna, Austria.

42. Anber Raz, Co-Chair of Imkaan, UK.

43. Ann Rueso, Chicago, USA.

44. Anne Hendrixson, Population and Development Program, Hampshire College, Amherst, USA.

45. Anne Marie Manga - Psychologue-Consul-tante, Enseignante a l’university de Yaounde.

46. Anupama Rao, Columbia University, USA.

47. Ayºegül Devecioðlu, Turkey.

48. Barbara Klugman—Strategy and Evaluation practitioner, South Africa.

49. Barbara Ransby, writer, historian, professor, and activist, University of Chicago

50. Bhavani Fonseka, Sri Lanka.

51. Bhavani Raman, Associate Professor History, University of Toronto

52. Cara Cancelmo, University of Connecticut, USA.

53. Carole Spary, University of Nottingham.

54. Cayathri Divakalala, Independent Researcher, Sri Lanka.

55. Charo Mina-Rojas, Black Feminisms, Colombia.

56. Cynthia Rothschild—Independent Human Rights Activist, New York, USA.

57. Daniela Colombo, Italy.

58. Dharashree Das, US.

59. Diane Elson, Emeritus Professor University of Essex, UK. Member of UN Committee on Development Policy.

60. Dina M Siddiqui, USA.

61. Diya Basu-Sen, Bengali Feminist and Social Justice Advocate, Executive Director Sapna NYC Inc, New York, USA.

62. Dorcas Coker-Appiah, Human rights activist, Accra, Ghana.

63. Dr Molly Doane, Associate Professor of Anthropology.

64. Dr. Natalie Bennett, Educator/Women’s Center, Director, Chicago, United States.

65. Dr. Sanjukta Mukherjee, Associate Professor, Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, DePaul University, Chicago, USA.

66. Duna Goswami, MD, FRCSC, Canada.

67. Elizabeth Cox, HELP Resources, Wewak, Papua New Guinea.

68. G. Patel, translator, writer, Charlottesville, Virginia, US.

69. Gayathry Venkiteswaran, Malaysia.

70. Gayatri Kodikal, Artist, Writer and Game Designer, Rotterdam and Goa.

71. Gayatri Reddy, Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies Program, University of Illinois at Chicago.

72. Gila Svirsky, Women in Black, Israel.

73. Gloria González-López, Ph.D Professor, Department of Sociology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.

74. Goldie Osuri, University of Warwick, UK.

75. Hanna Safran, Historian.

76. Harshita Yalamarty, PhD Student, York University, Canada.

77. Heba Al Adawy, PhD Candidate Australian National Unviersity.

78. Heidi Grunebaum, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

79. Heidi Paredes, Feminist Activist and Resource Development Coordinator, Israel/Palestine.

80. Huong Nguyen, UAF, Oakland, USA.

81. Ivy Josiah, Former director, Women’s Aid Organisation, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

82. Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala, Feminist, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

83. Jessica Nevo, Sociologist, Argentina and Israel.

84. Jinee lokaneeta, Drew University, New York.

85. Julie Santella, Ph.D student Rapid city, USA.

86. Kajori Chaudhuri, New York, USA.

87. Kalpana Wilson, BIRKBECK College, London.

88. Kasturi Sen, Oxford, UK.

89. Khushi Kabir, Activist, Sangat, Bangladesh.

90. Kiran Grewal, Reader, Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London, Lewisham Way, New Cross, London, UK.

91. Kriti Budhiraja, PhD Student, University of Minnesota.

92. Laila Malik, AWID.

93. Leena Kumarappan, London, UK.

94. Lilach Ben David, Israel.

95. Lorena Arocha, University of Hull, UK.

96. Lori Heise, Professor, Baltimore, USA.

97. Lotika Singha, Honorary Research Fellow, Wolverhampton University, UK.

98. Lucía Pérez Fragoso, Mexico.

99. Marcia Freedman, former Member of Knesset (Israel), Berkeley, California.

100. Margaret Price, Associate Professor, Department of English, Director, Disability Studies Program, The Ohio State University.

101. Maria Iosue, Toronto.

102. Mariam Baloch, Women’s Rights Advocate, New York.

103. Mariam Gagoshashvili —Astraea Foundation, New York, USA.

104. Marina Roesler Ph.D—Founder and Principal, RiskDNA LLC, New York.

105. Mario Iosue, Psychotherapist, Toronto, Canada.

106. Marisol Ruiz, Mexico.

107. Mary Jane Real, Human Rights Defender, Manila, Philippines.

108. Mary Pampalk, Women in Black, Israel.

109. Maryam Al-Khawaja, Copenhagen, Denmark.

110. Melanie Alperstein, South Africa.

111. Melissa Upreti, Senior Director, Centre for Women’s Global Leadership, The State Uni-versity of New Jersey, Rutgers, New Jersey, USA.

112. Michel Freidman, Feminist activist and Social change practitioner, South Africa.

113. Michelle Lee, PhD Student, University Of Minnesota, USA.

114. Mihika Chatterjee, Departmental Lecturer, University of Oxford.

115. Mihika Sud.

116. Miray Philips, Ph.D Candidate, University of Minnesota, USA.

117. Mitra Ebrahami, Teheran, Iran.

118. Mridula Rao.

119. Muktasree Chakma, Researcher and Rights activist, Bangladesh.

120. Nabila Q. Graduate Student, Canada

121. Nadine S. Naber, Professor, University of Illinois in Chicago, USA.

122. Naheed Ahmad, Academic, Paris, France.

123. Navnidhi Sharma, PhD Scholar, New York.

124. Navtej Purewal, SOAS, UK.

125. Nayana Somaiah, MD CCFP, Toronto, Canada.

126. Neeti Nair, Historian, USA.

127. Neloufer De Mel—Professor, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

128. Nida Kirmani, Associate Professor, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.

129. Nikita Sud, Oxford, UK.

130. Nirupama Ravi, Ph.D student, University of Massachusettes, Amherst, US.

131. Niyanthini Kadirgamar, PhD Student, UMass Amherst, Jaffna People’s Forum for Coexis-tence, Sri Lanka.

132. Niyathini Kadirgamar, PhD Student, UMass Amherst, Jaffna People’s Forum for Coexis-tence, Sri Lanka

133. Norma Swenson, Boston , US.

134. Nova Ahmed, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North South University, Bangladesh.

135. Or Ben David, Activist, Israel.

136. Pankhuri Agarwal, Researcher, University of Bristol, UK.

137. Patricia Viseur Sellers—International Criminal Lawyer, Brussels, Belgium.

138. Paulette Meyer, San Francisco, USA.

139. Penny Vera Sanza, Birbeck, UK.

140. Prerna Gupta, PhD Student, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

141. Priyanka Kodikal, Interaction Designer, Berlin142. Professor Ravinder Barn, Royal Holloway, University of London.

143. Professor Valentina Vitali, University of East London, London, UK.

144. Radhika Balakrishnan, Rutgers University, USA.

145. Rajani Bhatia, State University of New York, USA.

146. Rajender Kaur, Professor of English, Director, Asian Studies Program, William Paterson University, New Jersey.

147. Rekha Mehra Ph.D - Washington, USA.

148. Rela Mazali, Independent Scholar and Activist, Israel.

149. Remi Aruna Olajoyegbe, Women’s Empower-ment Coach, London, UK.

150. Rita Thapa—peace activist, Kathmandu, Nepal.

151. Ritty Lukose, Associate Professor, New York University, USA.

152. Ritu Ghosh, PhD student at the Department of Anthropology, The University of Illinois at Chicago.

153. Rona Mashiach, Israel.

154. Ruchi Chaturvedi, Senior Lecturer, Depart-ment of Sociology, University of Cape Town, SA.

155. Rupal Oza, CUNY. New York.

156. Ruth Noack, Curator, Berlin

157. Ruth Ojiambo Ochieng—peace activist, friend of Kashmir, Kampala, Uganda.

158. Sadaf Khan, Human Rights Activist, Pakistan.

159. Samantha Agrawal, Ph.D Student, John Hopkins University, USA.

160. Sanchita Bakshi, Ph.D Student, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague.

161. Sarala Emmanuel, Researcher and Activist, Sri Lanka.

162. Savitri Hensman, Writer and health research involvement coordinator, London, UK.

163. Sheba Tejani, Assistant Professor, The New School, USA.

164. Shefali Chandra, St Louis, USA.

165. Shilpa Menon, Ph.D student, Anthropology, The University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.

166. Shirin M. Rai, Professor, University of Warwick.

167. Shivangi Kaushik, DPhil Candidate in International Development, University of Oxford.

168. Shree Mulay, Associate Dean and Professor, Division of Community Health and Humanities in the Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada.

169. Sneha Krishnan, Associate Professor in Human Geography, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.

170. Snigdha Kumar, Ph.D Student, University of Minnesota, USA.

171. Solange Rocha, Researcher and Consultant, South Africa.

172. Sravanthi Dasari, Doctoral Student, University of Illnois, USA.

173. Srimati Basu, University of Kentucky, USA.

174. Subha Wijesiriwardena—Women and Media Collective, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

175. Sujatha Subramaniam.

176. Sumi Madhok, Associate Professor, Depart-ment of Gender Studies, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London.

177. Sunita Viswanath, Human rights activist,
NYC.

178. Susanne Zwingel, Florida State University, USA.

179. Svati Shah, University of Massachusetts, USA.

180. Tahira Abdullah, peace, environment and rights activist, Islamabad, Pakistan.

181. Talma Bardin.

182. Terry Greenblatt, Berkley, USA.

183. Terry Mcgovern, feminist, human rights lawyer, New York, USA.

184. Tharanga De Silva, Women & Media Collective, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

185. Trimita Chakma—APWLD, Chiangmai, Thai-land.

186. Vasuki Nesiah, New York University, USA.

187. Virginia Botelho—feminist activist, Recife, Brazil.

188. Vrinda Marwah, University of Texas-Austin, USA.

189. Xeenarh Mohammed, TIER, Nigeria.

190. Xiaopei He, Pink Space, Sexuality Resource Centre, China.

191. Yousi Fazili, International human rights lawyer, Washington DC.

192. Zoey Martin-Lockhart, Graduate student in Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Chicago.

193. Zulaikha Haq, Independent Professional Consultant, Afghanistan.

Organisations — Indian/Global

1. Saheli Women’s Resource Centre, New Delhi, India.

2. National Federation of Indian Women, India.

3. Global Fund For Women—San Francisco, USA.

4. Rahila Gupta, Southall Black Sisters.

5. Women’s March Global.

6. Our Bodies Ourselves (OBOS), USA.

7. AWID, Toronto, Canada.

8. Urgent Action Fund—New York, Oakland, USA.

9. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), Chiangmai, Thailand.

10. Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Malaysia.

11. Association for Progressive Communications (global network of 58 organisations and 35 individual members, active in 72 countries) Registered in USA, head office in South Africa.

12. Kavita Krishnan, All India Progressive Women’s Association, India.

13. Shireen P. Huq, Naripokkho, Bangladesh.

14. Yifat Susskind, MADRE, New York, USA.

15. Baljit Banga, Director Imkaan, UK (Black feminist organisation dedicated to address-ing violence against women and girls in the UK).

16. Association of Women Rights in Develop-ment, Toronto/Mexico, Cape Town.

17. Anushaya Collure, South Asians for Human Rights, Colombo, Sri Lanka .

18. Dorathy Benjamin, Empower Malaysia, Malaysia.

19. Unwanted Witness, Uganda.

20. AIHMS Global

21. Fantsuam Foundation, Nigeria.

22. Bebaak Collective, India.

23. Elsa DSilva, Red Dot Foundation, Mumbai, India.

24. Forum Against the Oppression of Women, Mumbai.

25. Anja Kovacs, Internet Democracy Project, India.

26. Nighat Khan, Director, ASR, Lahore.

27. Alternative Justice Centre, Israel/Palestine

28. Amita Swadhin, Founding Director, Mirror Memoirs, USA.

29. Amna Mawaz Khan, Awami Workers Party, Lahore, Pakistan.

30. Ashila Dandeniya, Standup Movement Lanka, Sri Lanka.

31. Atreyi Dasgupta, Sanhati.

32. Bharti Sharma, Shakti Shalini, New Delhi.

33. Deekshya Illangasinghe, South Asians For Human Rights, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

34. Dinah Musindarwezo—FEMNET, Nairobi, Kenya.

35. Dr. Hannah Safran, feminist activist and Women’s Studies teacher and researcher.

36. Faizun Zackariya, Muslim Women’s Research & Action Forum, Sri Lanka.

37. Farida Akhter, Women’s rights’ activist, Narigrantha Prabartana (Women’s Resource Centre), Bangladesh.

38. Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), Thailand.

39. International Women’s Rights Action Watch—Asia Pacific, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

40. Jaribu Hill, Mississippi Workers’ Centre for Human Rights, Greenville, Mississippi USA.

41. Javid Syed, SALGA, New York.

42. Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre, Accra, Ghana.

43. Jyotsna Maskay, Chairperson, LOOM/WOREC, Kathmandu, Nepal.

44. Kashmir Women’s Collective, New Delhi, India.

45. Kaveesha Coswatte, i-Pro bono, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

46. Kavita Mehra, Executive Director, Sakhi for South Asian Women, NYC.

47. Kishwar Sultana—Insan Foundation Trust, Pakistan.

48. Kumudini Samuel, Women and Media Collective, Sri Lanka.

49. Kyli Kleven—The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, New York.

50. Lame Olebile—Astraea Foundation, New York, USA.

51. Lesley Ann Foster, Masimanyane Women’s Rights International, South Africa.

52. Lihi Jofee, Board member, The Coalition of Women for Peace, Israel-Palestine.

53. Lizzy Igbine, National President, Nigerian Women Agro Allied Farmers Association, Nigeria.

54. Mabel Bianco, President, Foundation for Studies and Research on Women, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

55. Mamas Activating Movements for Abolition and Solidarity (MAMAS), Chicago, USA.

56. Media Matters for Democracy, Pakistan

57. Miabi Chatterji, Astraea Foundation, New York, USA.

58. Michel Lambert, ALTERNATIVES, Canada.

59. Neelam Hussain, Academic-Activist, Women’s Action Forum, Lahore, Pakistan.

60. Nelika Rajapakshe—Women and Media Collective, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

61. New Profile, Movement for the Demilitari-sation of Israeli Society.

62. Nighat Dad, Digital Rights Foundation, Pakistan.

63. Nosheen Ali, Karti Dharti, Karachi, Pakistan.

64. Paola Salwan Daher, Board member, Urgent Action Fund, Geneva, Switzerland.

65. Priyanthi Fernando, IWRAW AP, Sri Lanka.

66. Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds, Ottawa, Canada & Mexico City, Mexico

67. Purogami Mahila Sangathan, India.

68. Renu Rajbhandari—NAWHRD, Tarangini Foundation, Nepal.

69. Roots for Equity, Pakistan.

70. Rubina Saigol, Independent Researcher, Women Action Forum, Lahore, Pakistan.

71. Ruth Acheinegeh, Regional Coordinator for the North West/South West Associations of Women With Disabilities, West Africa English Cam-eroon.

72. Sabina Martins, Bailancho Saad, Goa.

73. Sachetana Women’s Rights Organisation, Kolkata, India.

74. Sachini Perera—RESURJ, London, UK.

75. Samuyukta, India.

76. Sepali Kottegoda, Women and Media Collective, Sri Lanka.

77. Sheepa Hafiza, Director, Ain O Salish Kendra, Bangladesh.

78. Shreen Abdul Saroor, Women’s Action Network/Muslim Women Development Trust/Mannar Women’s Development Federation, Sri Lanka.

79. Soudeh RAD, Spectrum (feministspectrum) Paris, France.

80. South Asian Women, NYC, USA.

81. Tamil Nadu Women Forum, India.

82. The Initiative for Equal Rights—Lagos, Nigeria.

83. Vimochana, Bangalore, India.

84. Why Loiter, India.

85. Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression, India.

86. Women in Black/Isha L’Isha - Haifa Feminist Center, Haifa, Israel.

87. Women in Governance (WinG), India.

88. Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET).

89. Yasmin Rehman, Juno Women’s Aid, Nottingham, UK.