Blank Noise

When the history of 2017 is written, we can think of many Awesome events worth noting, but even the solar eclipse might be eclipsed by the massive #MeToo movement. Women and other genders are speaking out against the ways in which the world is not safe for them. From Hollywood to the halls of Congress to every workplace where people aren’t treated with equal dignity and respect, decades of silence are being broken.

Nowhere in the world is gender-based violence more egregious than in India, and nobody is bolder about confronting this unacceptable situation than Jasmeen Patheja and Blank Noise.

Blank Noise and its army of volunteer “action heroes” tackle everyday harassment by creating provocative demonstrations that make people talk. Asking “What were you wearing when you were assaulted?” Blank Noise collected and made public displays of thousands of garments that say “I Never Ask For It.” Right now, Blank Noise is organizing “Meet To Sleep” events inviting women to take a snooze in their local park to prove that women have the right to feel safe in public spaces. We admit we are not sure we would feel comfortable doing this! Maybe you couldn’t do that either, but you can still support the idea by making some noise on Facebook and Twitter. Oh, and definitely give them a shout out when their website gets a new look — thanks to a little help from this Awesome Without Borders grant.