How Nadiya Shafi's fearless reporting became a ray of hope for Kashmir

Nadiya Shafi from Srinagar is going against the patriarchal structure in the state and giving a voice to the other gender through her documentaries, writes Sneha Bhattacharjee

In the recent months, Kashmir has been in news for reasons better not discussed here. And, just when you think that humanity has disappeared from the state, you see people like Nadiya Shafi who bring hope. 

A Srinagar resident, Nadiya is a video reporter, associated with the Kashmir Unheard Project and Video Volunteers. She has been awarded the ‘most promising individual award’ by Martha Farrell Awards for Excellence in Women Empowerment. The awards, first instituted in 2017, are given in the memory of Dr Martha Farrell, a prominent activist for gender equality and women’s empowerment killed in Kabul in a terror attack in 2015. 

Since 2014 Nadiya has been associated with the Kashmir Unheard Project, after completing her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Kashmir. She has been defying patriarchal norms in a society where domestic and sexual violence are more the norm than exception. “I had always wanted to make a difference to the society. This award will only make my resolve stronger to work towards this cause with even more conviction,” says Nadiya. It was her documentary on transgenders in Kashmir and her work on gender equality that got her recognition at the Martha Farrell Awards.

Nadiya has been leading gender discussions clubs in her hometown. The club comprises students, housewives, labourers, artisans, farmers — citizens of Srinagar — and engages them in discussions about sexuality, patriarchy and gender inequality. She is currently in the process of expanding these clubs to the Shopian and Phulwama districts of Southern Kashmir, which are some of the most disturbed areas of the decades-long armed & cross-border conflicts.

“The valley is a beautiful place, but the women here have never been able to appreciate this beauty due to the turmoil within from generations of unfortunate subjugation,” said Nadiya adding “I have just scratched the surface in making them and people aware about the importance of being equal.” But talking about equality, making people realise they should speak up when they see something wrong hasn’t been an easy task especially when the city where Nadiya lives has always been patriarchal in nature. “My education has made me realise that in order to bring about a change, I will have to learn to tackle the challenges,” she says.  

Nadiya Shafi receives her award at the Teen Murti Bhavan in New Delhi

According to Nadiya, there are many cases in the valley that go unreported, or even if they are reported, punishment is never ever talked about. “We know it is a case of human rights violence but unless the authorities are informed, there cannot be an action taken,” she adds. So does she get any support from the authorities when it comes to handling situations of human rights violence? Nadiya says, it depends from whom the help is sought. While she has never faced any untoward circumstances when it comes to seeking support from the local government or police, Nadiya feels it is important for people to trust the people in power, and ensure they report any crime so that the victim can be helped. 

“I can only tell people that whenever you see any human rights violation, please raise your voice and don’t be a mute spectator”, says Nadiya. She hopes that seeing her work and her winning the award will bring more women in the valley together to raise their voice.

Martha Farrell Awards are co-sponsored by Rizwan Adatia Foundation (RAF) and Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), and supported by Martha Farrell Foundation (MFF). A total of 147 nominations were received across both categories — most promising individual and best organisation for gender equality —this year, which were reviewed by an eight-member jury comprising eminent jurists, women’s rights proponents, film makers, social activists, and media entrepreneurs. The Best Organisation for Gender Equality category has been won by the Maharashtra based Resource and Support Centre for Development (RSCD) for sustained efforts towards promoting inclusion of women in political processes across 30 districts of Maharashtra and in developing gender sensitivity in its workplace.