Blank noise project: Voice of Women for women

Started as a simple project, Blank noise now is a nation wide medium that helps women of all age to express what they till today suffered in streets silently. Blank noise project is an association that actively protests against the street sexual harassment of women. It was started in 2003. The project works with the victims, the perpetrators and spectators of street sexual harassment and hopes to bring a change in the public perception of eve teasing, which is still largely considered a minor problem.

Jasmeen Patheja, a photographer by profession with her 8 classmates from Srishti School of Communication worked to form this project. Jasmeen explains how the project got this name. "It came out of our shared experiences and it is a kind of silence that all women are attached to. So it was 'Blank.' This every day experience essentially affects all of us. So it becomes a 'Noise.' Thus originated the name Blank Noise." It is a street intervention programme.

In 2006 on Women's Day Blank Noise team started blog-a-thon in which they asked women to write about their bitter experiences of street harassment. It was a big success. Team received around 240 personal testimonials and 131 comments on a single post. This year Blank Noise Project is planning to share something new with its action heros. It will launch an Action Hero website with stories of action plans. It will post the strategies and interventions given by women. On women's day it will post strategies and interventions from about eight countries.

Jasmeen the lady behind the project says, "There are different realities of street sexual harassment in India. Women should come out and speak out their issues."

If you have experienced any kind of street sexual harassment and if you would like to voice it please visit: Blog-a-thon

Or mail to [email protected]