At the center of the #MeToo movement lie survivor testimonies, which demystify victim-shaming, victim-blaming, and legitimizing the victim-survivor's testimony as the unquestionable truth. In the South Asian context, such testimonies are still a taboo, which leads to victim-survivors refusing to share and relive their experiences and narratives even if they have the means and access to do so. Our panel seeks to problematize the #MeToo movement in order to reimagine and contextualize it in South Asia and the South Asian diaspora as a much-needed intervention to examine the implications of a transnational feminist movement. We wish to explore questions such as: how the #MeToo movement can move away from Hollywood/Bollywood/workplace and elitist exclusivity. How can it be more inclusive of non-white and marginalized voices?

Our panel examines how sexual violence and feminist interventions in South Asia and the Diaspora have been articulated in the context of but more importantly, in opposition to the #MeToo Movement. We seek to understand how the feminist movement has radically diverged from the assimilationist discourse of the #MeToo Movement and, consequently, the Global North. Themes addressed may include pedagogy, exploration of marginalized and lesser-known identities, Queer/LGBTQI+, the voices of resilience in South Asia, and the diaspora, as well as, the repercussions of masculinity and male trauma.

Submission Link: https://cfplist.com/nemla/User/SubmitAbstract/19911

Deadline: September 30th

Email for inquries: shrivastavan@sacredheart.edu (Dr. Nidhi Shrivastava) and thoidingjam@gmail.com (Dr. Billie Thoidingjam Guarino)