Articles by Aradhana Umale

Aradhana Umale is a social impact professional and arts educator currently working with Civis as a Consultant-Trainer, where she designs civic engagement content and facilitates youth-focused workshops that make governance accessible. She is also the founder of WorkshopsByAra, through which she has conducted 30+ creative arts workshops across Mumbai, empowering learners through crochet DIY crafts. Blending research, facilitation, and creative pedagogy, Aradhana is committed to making learning participatory and impactful for diverse communities.

The constant looking over one's shoulder, being followed on the street, inappropriate touch and harassment on public transportation — every woman is familiar with this narrative. It was these issues that were highlighted when groups of young women in Mumbai were asked to create tableaux, depicting their everyday experiences, during a  recent theatre workshop. While the workshop facilitators did not set a specific theme, something striking happened. Group after group independently chose to portray the same issues: street harassment, eve teasing, gender discrimination and domestic violence. These were no longer just abstract concerns but pressing realities shaping how young women…

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