7 TED(x) Talks about women’s safety that you must watch

As we all await (a new) normalcy in our lives, we can’t deny the fact that issues around women’s safety will continue to be there. But what can change is the way we respond to it. Our responses can be altered when there’s more awareness. Therefore, Durga presents to you this article that enlists 7 TED(x) talks about women’s safety that you must watch. (Click on the names to watch the talks on YouTube).

1. Lina Abirafeh No better TED Talk than this to watch during this pandemic that leads to another shadow pandemic – domestic violence. Lina Abirafeh throws light on sexual violence against women in the face of crisis. She recounts her journey from country to country trying to fight this demon and help women become safe. Her stories will disturb you and urge you to take this issue personally.

2. Priya Varadarajan Our founder, through this TEDx talk, elaborates how each of us as citizens can tackle the issues that women are facing. She emphasises that it doesn’t concern only women but each one of us. She takes the instance of Rohini going through a challenge who could be any woman. Priya enumerates that beyond protests or asking for advocacy we can do something – enabling ourselves with life-skills. This talk will reinforce your belief that every woman can take control over her own safety, every woman can regain her agency, reclaim her safe space anywhere.

3. Jackson Katz Time and again it’s proven that men need to be involved in the conversation of women’s safety. Jackson Katz, Phd, is an anti-sexist activist and expert on violence, media and masculinities, goes one step further and says these are men’s issues more than women’s. This talk by Katz will enable a paradigm shift in the minds of people working for women’s safety. Through his brilliant analogies, verbal syntax examples, he nails it when he says that men cannot excuse themselves from this.

4. Kate Bright Kate is a female bodyguard. She narrates her journey right from childhood to the day she got a training offer to become a bodyguard. Kate took it up without thinking twice and since then has brought a shift in this profession that was seemingly male-dominated. She is trying to change perceptions and encourage more people to enter the industry. Kate Bright is the founder of Umbra International, a company that represents and places elite female security professionals.

5. David Richards David recounts the phone call his wife had made to him about the man with the gun lurking around in the shelter home she was a case worker in. He tells how it changed his life and he began paying attention to these dangerous issues around him. David Richards is an Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut, with appointments in both the Department of Political Science and the Human Rights Institute. He currently serves as Director of Graduate Studies at the Human Rights Institute. In this talk, he suggests practical solutions to make better the scenario for violence and abuse survivors.

6. Patricia Shea She firmly begins with reinforcing that the end of violence against women begins with men. No sooner than she does that, she poses a question that cracks up the audience followed by conversations that are urgent and of umpteen importance. She narrates stories of men who involve themselves in this problem-solving and are remodelling behaviour for young boys.

7. Cindy Dyer She opens her talk by mentioning a revelation that shocked her – violence against women is similar all over (locally, nationally, globally). She juxtaposes what women want and do not want from violence against themselves. Cindy also throws light on the root causes of the abusers and what role commoners play in this matter. Furthermore, she proposes four steps to solve this problem. Cindy specializes in working with women leaders to develop effective legal frameworks that address sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking.

Do share your thoughts in the comment section!

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