03/05/2015
A new comic book starring a r**e survivor turned tiger-riding superhero aims to reduce violence against women in India by educating youth and encouraging a cultural shift away from entrenched victim-blaming attitudes. The comic book, "Priya's Shakti," is the brainchild of Indian-American filmmaker Ram Devineni, who was inspired to create the character of Priya after learning about the gang r**e of 23-year-old university student Jyoti Singh two years ago on a New Delhi bus. Recently named a gender equality champion by UN Women, Devineni is currently working with the non-profit Apne Aap Women Worldwide on an Indiegogo campaign to get copies of the comic book into schools across India.
It was a few days after the attack -- when Devineni asked a New Delhi police officer what he thought about the incident -- that he realized the need for the kind of cultural shift that he hopes his comic book helps foster. He told NPR, "I'm paraphrasing here, but [the officer] basically said 'No good girl walks home alone at night,' which implies she deserved it or provoked it. I immediately realized the problem of sexual violence in India is not a legal issue but a cultural problem." Following this conversation, he spent months traveling around India talking with people, including many r**e survivors, about the problem of sexual violence.
Priya’s story emerged out of those discussions: she begins as an ordinary young woman who is ostracized by her family and village after she is r**ed. When she takes refuge in the jungle the Hindu goddess Parvati grants her special powers, including the power of persuasion which helps her motivate others to take action toward ending sexual violence in their communities. With her new powers, she tames a tiger and travels around India helping to build an anti-violence, women empowerment movement.
Devineni says that Priya is “not a superhero in the comic book tradition. Her power is the power of persuasion and the power of an idea… One of the things I remember from the protests in Delhi in 2012 is the mere fact that millions of people all over India protested, from all different castes, class and nationalities.” So he hopes that Priya can inspire change among a similarly diverse group of people. To that end, the funding from his Indiegogo campaign will go towards getting the comic book in the hands of as many teens and young adults as possible, as well as to the creation of street murals featuring Priya.
Devineni believes that it’s critical to start the conversation about the shame directed at r**e survivors and the low rate of prosecution from a young age -- and to reach both girls and boys. So far, he says, teens have responded strongly to “Priya’s Shakti”: “I think that's because Priya is like every other teenager. She's wondering about her role in the society and the world. Then all of a sudden this horrible thing happens to her and her life gets derailed by it. By conquering her own fears, she sort of finds her way in the world… and becomes this source of enlightenment for her community and society.”
You can read a copy of Priya's Shakti online at http://www.priyashakti.com/ and help support the Indiegogo campaign to get the comic book into more schools at http://bit.ly/18iBAty
To read an interview with Ram Devineni about "Priya's Shakti" on NPR, visit http://n.pr/1A8IuvV
For stories of girls and women experiencing and overcoming abuse and violence in their lives -- which offer a helpful way to talk to young people about the widespread problem of violence against women -- visit our “Abuse & Violence" book section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/social-issues/abuse-violence
For Mighty Girl books for teen readers (13+) that address issues of abuse and violence and offer a helpful way to spark conversations around this important topic, we recommend "Speak" (http://www.amightygirl.com/speak), "A Step From Heaven" (http://www.amightygirl.com/a-step-from-heaven), "I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This" (http://www.amightygirl.com/i-hadn-t-meant-to-tell-you-this), and "If You Find Me" (http://www.amightygirl.com/if-you-find-me).
Violence against women often occurs within relationships; as such, a useful resource for older teens (16+) and adults in unhealthy relationships is “Stop Signs: Recognizing, Avoiding, and Escaping Abusive Relationships” at http://www.amightygirl.com/stop-signs
If you’re a parent concerned that your daughter may be in an unhealthy relationship, check out the books “But I Love Him: Protecting Your Teen Daughter from Controlling, Abusive Relationships” at http://www.amightygirl.com/but-i-love-him and “Saving Beauty From The Beast: How to Protect Your Daughter from an Unhealthy Relationship” at http://www.amightygirl.com/saving-beauty-from-the-beast
