Harvard Alumni for Global Women's Empowerment

Hands Off! Global Perspectives on Sexual violence Online panel

A Discussion of Sexual Violence Against Women and Preventive Measures with Perspectives from India & Kenya

Saturday, July 13, 2019 | 10:30am-12pm ET | Online Event

This event is FREE for all Harvard GlobalWE members, Harvard students, alumni, affiliates, staff, and your guests. Registration information is below.

Join panelists Ashri Anurudran '19, Jasmeen Patheja and moderator Aarti Gupta for a live online discussion on sexual violence against women and preventive measures that can be adopted by women, families and communities. Each brings a unique perspective to the issues affecting women globally, with a focus on communities in Kenya and India. 

This event took place on July 13th, 2019. Registration is no longer open.

Ashri Anurudran (panelist)

Having grown up in London, Kuala Lumpur and Houston, Ashri has witnessed the prevalence of sexual violence within vastly different societies. As a senior at Harvard College concentrating in Economics with a secondary focus in Global Health and Human Rights, she plans to use this knowledge to work on sexual violence prevention. Specifically, she hopes to introduce preventative norms early enough to create a generation of powerful, confident and informed citizens with the tools to fight sexual violence.  In the past, Ashri has founded and taught two school-based educational intervention programs for 12-to-14 year-olds that aim to change norms surrounding sexual violence in India and Kenya. The programs incorporate confidence building, public speaking, female hygiene, human rights, and career building. In Kisumu, she expanded this curriculum to include self-defense, bystander intervention, hero ideals and gender equality modules. As a Cheng Fellow, Ashri hopes to further her research in this space by exploring the impacts of prevention training in changing knowledge and norms surrounding sexual violence. Next year, she plans to pursue a Masters in Public Health at Cambridge University.

Jasmeen Patheja (panelist)

Jasmeen Patheja is a disruptive artist based in Bangalore. She is the founder and facilitator of Blank Noise, a citizen-led community arts collective. Born and brought up in Kolkata, Patheja always had the desire to use her creativity to make a difference. Haunted by the experience of being harassed on the streets, even as a young girl wearing her school uniform, and frustrated by public apathy, she decided to do something about it. What started as a student project at Srishti in Bangalore in 2003, Blank Noise has since spread to other cities in India and globally.  The purpose of Blank Noise was to create gender sensitization regarding street harassment. Jasmeen is committed to mobilizing citizens and individuals to take agency in ending sexual and gender-based violence. She designs interventions that confront fear, initiate trust and empathy. Jasmeen is also a TED and Ashoka Fellow. 

Aarti Gupta (moderator)

Aarti Gupta holds a doctorate in Economics. Her field of interest is public policy making in developing economies. In her professional capacity, Aarti directs the management and execution of investments for her family office and serves as the Chief Investment Officer of DBR Ventures – a company with a vision to invest and mentor disruptive startups. She has been named amongst the top 22 women investors in India by Inc42. Aarti is also the Sr Vice Chairperson of FICCI FLO Kanpur. FLO is the women’s wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, comprising of more than 6700 women entrepreneurs with a motto to empower, enrich and uplift women in India.