Workshop by Sambhaavna Institute onTransfeminist Perspectives: Apply Now!

Sambhaavna Institute is organizing a workshop on ‘Beyond the Binary of Gender: Transfeminist Perspectives from India’, which will be conducted from June 1st to 5th.

About the Sambhaavna Institute

In today’s India, a transgender person is, relatively speaking, not completely unknown to us. They have existed and continue to exist among and within our families, relationships, communities, workspaces, etc., and occupy public spaces and debates, form intimate partnerships, and feature in the news and social media. Yet it is quite ironic that they remain amongst the most underrepresented of groups in India in terms of their access to social, cultural, economic, and political spaces.

‘Beyond the Binary of Gender’ is a workshop imagined as, curated, and conducted by trans feminist persons representing diverse ethnic, caste, class, and religious backgrounds of the country in an effort to bring together the diverse histories, lived realities, needs, and allied concerns of transgender communities across the country.

Moreover, it will draw upon the experiences of the resource persons in their work so far towards amplifying and mainstreaming trans feminist perspectives viz., the required interventions and changes in social attitudes and customary practices necessary towards building responses to eliminating transphobia and trans-exclusionary practices and promoting a range of trans leaderships.

Objective of the Workshop

• Help professionals in conscientization of the social, political, cultural, and economic realities and consequent needs and demands of the transgender community representing diverse ethnic, caste, class, and religious background of the country.
• An open invitation to human rights defenders and allied practitioners to critically reflect as a collective towards emerging language, practices, and initiatives based on inclusion from the perspective of the lived realities of transgender people. This will include and not limited to:
  • Policies and programs on building an understanding of gender-based violence and discrimination and related projects that seek to prevent or prohibit the same.
  • Diversity and inclusion-based hiring for the job and related opportunities.
  • Efforts to include Trans* representation and leadership in varied social justice-based people’s movement and related spaces.
  • Laws, Judgement, and other statutory efforts by the State to make a difference towards ensuring safety, dignity, and access to opportunity and justice by a transgender person.
  • Prepare a readily applicable working document on “creating a safe and inclusive space for gender non-conforming person” vis a vis the Indian context as a take-away for the participants.

Methodology

• The 5-day workshop will include interactive informative sessions, group work, and presentations; film screening and discussion, and online zoom sessions with select transfeminist leaders to provide a comprehensive learning experience.
• Roleplays, image theatre, forum theatre, etc. will be used to drive the conceptual learning acquired from the above to a practical experience for the participants.
• Case studies, articles, summary reports, and relevant handouts will also be shared that will help elucidate necessary key terms and concepts.
• Session-wise evaluation and feedback received anonymously from the group. The intention is to create a progressive course correction strategy depending on the feedback of the participants on a daily basis.

Language

Hindi and English

Eligibility

For human right activists, social workers, writers, academics and allied practitioners and organizations, collectives and groups working on issues of sex, gender, and sexuality-based violence and discrimination and related human rights, social justice, and allied developmental concerns such as gender equality, health, education, livelihood, etc., who are passionate about building a Trans-Inclusive or Trans-Affirmative spaces and practices in and around their personal and professional environment.

Residential Resource Persons

• Anindya Hajra (SHe/Her), Co-founder and Director, Pratyay Gender Trust, Kolkata.
• Sai Bourothu (SHe/Her), Project Officer – Prison Reforms, Commonwealth Health Rights initiative, Delhi.
• Ditilekha (He/They), Coordinator, Sangat – A Feminist Network.
• Pavel Sagolsem (any pronoun) Co-founder, The Chinky Homo Project.

Speakers Joining Via Zoom

• Bittu Karthik Kondaiah (He/They), Associate Professor of Biology and Psychology, Ashoka University.
• Santa Khurai (She/Her), Co-founder, All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association.
• Kiran B Nayak (He/Him), Founder of Karnataka Vikalachetanara Sanghatane, an 8642+ member strong network of persons living with disability (physical, visual and multiple disabilities) across the south Indian state of Karnataka.
• Grace Banu (She/Her), Founder TransRightNow Collective.
• Rumi Harish (He/Him), Transmen and Musician, Co
• Daniel Mendonca (She/Her), Founder, Intersex Human Rights India.

Dates and Venue

• Date: 1st to 5th June 2021
• Venue: Sambhaavnaa Institute, VPO – Kandbari, Tehsil – Palampur, District – Kangra, PIN 176061, Himachal Pradesh

Contribution towards Programs Costs

• Requested Contribution: An amount of Rs. 5500/- towards workshop expenses, inclusive of all onsite workshop costs: boarding, lodging, and all the materials used in the workshop.
• Need-based partial waivers are available (A very limited number of partial waivers available. So, please apply for a waiver only if you really need it)
• Click here to register

Contact

WhatsApp or call Shashank: 889 422 7954 (between 10 am to 5 pm)

E-mail: [email protected]