Making some blank noise

An organisation is working for freedom from restrictions for women, writes Geetanjali Krishna

On New Year's eve, hundreds of women reported being sexually harassed en masse on the streets of Bengaluru. While this would probably encourage fearful parents to become more protective of their daughters -- a 13-year-old movement in the city thinks otherwise. "Freedom from fear, restrictions and warnings is our right," says Jasmeen Patheja. Her non-profit public art initiative, Blank Noise, is based on the premise that women can reclaim this basic right, not by living in fear, in a culture of blame -- but by rejecting sexual harassment and making it a visible part of the everyday public domain.