Introduction

VOICES | International Human Rights Day

VOICES | International Human Rights Day

December 2018

On 10 December 2018, Rising Flame in collaboration with the U.S. consulate General, Mumbai hosted the event, “VOICES” to mark the International Human Rights Day. Globally, women and queer persons are the bearers of the most painful and grave human rights violations -from domestic violence to female genital mutilation to sexual harassment and abuse - the list is endless. Social, political, cultural, and legal barriers prevent them from speaking up, being believed, or seeking justice. It is imperative and critical in the current times for us to come together and be heard.

Voices-Mumbai-December-2018: Sonal Giani, Nidhi Goyal and Flavia Agnes are sitting at a table. Nidhi is speaking into the microphone and in the background, there is a large screen which has the logos of the U.S consulate General and Rising Flame.

A total of 50 people from diverse backgrounds and disabilities attended the event. Flavia Agnes, co-founder Majlis, Sonal Giani, actor and LGBTQIA+ activist along with Nidhi Goyal Founder Director Rising Flame came together and talked about the gross human rights violations that women and queer persons face on an everyday basis.

A short film by the U.S. Consulate on gender-based discrimination and a short film by Rising Flame, Ending the Silence, a movie on violence against women with disabilities were screened. This was followed by a reading of Payal Kapoor’s personal narrative of being a domestic violence survivor and how the experience is compounded by being disabled.

Read Payal’s story here.

Voices-Mumbai-December-2018: Sonal Giani, Nidhi Goyal and Flavia Agnes are sitting at a table. Flavia is addressing an audience. In the background, there is a large screen with the following words: U.S Consulate General Mumbai with Rising Flame On International Human Rights Day Present VOICES, a conversation on women’s rights. At the bottom are the two logos of the consulate and Rising Flame.