Hundreds Of Women Around India Are Sleeping In Parks To Reclaim Public Spaces

The project aims to create an environment of and by women, who are unlearning warnings. The participants, also known as 'Action Heroes', are asleep, defenceless, trusting, not rushed, not hurried in public spaces.

Meet To Sleep, a campaign started by Blank Noise, asks citizens from all across India to come to different public spaces like parks, and sleep there in order to take back free spaces without being afraid for their safety.

Via blog.blanknoise.org

The first meet was organised in November, 2014, in Bengaluru's Cubbon Park.

Via blog.blanknoise.org

And since then there have been eleven meets across various cities including Jaipur, Pune, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

Via blog.blanknoise.org

The campaign announces the meets through Facebook, and Blank Noise's blog.

Via blog.blanknoise.org

"It calls for women, girls and individuals to shift the fear based relationship with public spaces by taking a nap in their public parks. We do this to question fear, and to initiate a dialogue on trust," Jasmeen Patheja of Blank Noise told BuzzFeed.

Via blog.blanknoise.org

"We've had security guards telling us 'you're not allowed,' we've had perplexed reactions. This leads to amusing encounters, but we do that for the same reason, to manifest an idea through collective action, we have also had bystanders join us. A group of women who happened to be at a park were invited to join in. They were amused at the proposal to take a nap with a large group of strangers, however, they did."

She also added that the most important part of this initiative is to create a visual of women who are relaxed, asleep, defenceless, not hurried, and not rushed.

Via Facebook: blanknoise

The next meet is on January 16, 2015, from 2:30 p.m to 5:30 p.m, at Hiranandani Gardens, Mumbai. You can check out their event page for more information.

Via blog.blanknoise.org