The right to be defenceless is claimed in the body through Meet To Sleep; a collective feminist action of sleeping anywhere under open skies.
In sleep, we protest. In sleep, we fight the fear and warnings we have long been taught to carry. In sleep, we surrender in trust. In sleep, we offer a new memory to our bodies and our public spaces. We meet to sleep for the right to be defenceless. We Meet to Sleep to create a new reality through collective feminist action. We Meet To Sleep because collective action is powerful and can create new collective memory. We Meet To Sleep, because defencelessness is our birthright. Our bodies will through new learnt experiences know new stories to tell; located in pride and belonging. We will replace fear with belonging, shame with pride, violation with solidarity. We Meet To Sleep, to heal.
This call to action is built in alliance with feminist allies, women’s rights organisations,
and feminist collectives across India and the world. It rests on the power of feminist organising, labour and solidarities. Meet the Meet To Sleep Allies here.
Meet To Sleep was conceptualised by Jasmeen Patheja in 2008. The first public action for Meet To Sleep was held in 2014.
If Meet To Sleep, speaks to you, wherever you are, write to meettosleep@blanknoise.org
This year’s Meet To Sleep is scheduled for August 2023. Register here
Under vast open skies. Facing freedom. Where fear dissolves. We surrender in sleep
खुले आसमान तले
आज़ादी की ओर
जहाँ डर भाग गया
हम सो गये
Image - #MeetToSleep Sadbhavana Trust, and Lucknow Leaders
आशा है की आप सब सलामत हैं , और इस माहौल में अपने आप को अकेला नहीं महसूस कर रहे खासकर इन दिनों जब देश की हालात देखकर मन निराश और पीड़ित है I निराशा से दूर हम उम्मीद की तरफ चलें I
मिलकर डर, दोष और महिला हिंसा की कहानी पलटें ।"बेटी बचाने" से दूर - महिला नागरिकता की तरफ।
देश आज़ाद नहीं अगर हम डर से आज़ाद नहीं I अब अधिकार मांगे गे नहीं अधिकार लेंगे। बेख़ौफ़ कल्पना करेंगे I
आज़ादी चखेंगे I को हम अन्य सार्वजनिक स्थानों में एक गहरी नींद लेंगे I मीट टू स्लीप - जहां आप,मैं, हम सब मिलकर जहाँ भी हों, सार्वजनिक स्थानों में सो जाएंगे I हमारा मकसद ? डर से आज़ाद जीने का अधिकार I
Hope you are well. Hope you are not feeling alone in this current climate
Especially now, when the climate in our country causes sadness and pain in our hearts.
May we have the capacity to move from despair to hope. Together we can change the story of fear, blame and violence against women. Far away from the ‘save daughters’ narrative Towards women as citizens. The country is not free if we are not free
We will no longer ‘ask’ for our rights. We will claim them. We will dream fearless.
We will taste freedom. We will fall into deep sleep across public sites. Meet To Sleep, where you and I, all of us together, will sleep in public sites
Our intention? The right to live free from fear.
Meet To Sleep was initiated in memory of Jyoti Singh, also known to the world as #Nirbhaya, the fearless one. Jyoti Singh was gang-raped and murdered on December 16th, 2012. Between 2015- 2019 we gathered to build Meet To Sleep on this day every year.
Meet To Sleep was initiated in memory of Jyoti Singh, also known to the world as #Nirbhaya, the fearless one. Jyoti Singh was gangraped and murdered on December 16th, 2012. Between 2015- 2019 we gathered to build Meet To Sleep on this day every year.
As we approach Meet To Sleep in 2023, we call to remember and name the violence before systemic erasure. If a revolution is built of multiple local feminist resistances; if a revolution rests on solidarities , and new relationships waiting to be fostered, we seek to build this year’s Meet To Sleep naming, remembering the women whose lives we lost to gender-based violence across regions.
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38 places between 2015-2019 are listed below.
Agonda, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bidar, Bijapur, Karnataka, Bokaro, Chennai, Chikmagalur NewDelhi, Devgadh Baria, Dimapur, Godhra, Hazaribag, Helsinki (Finland), Hyderabad, Islamabad(Pakistan), Jaipur, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kandbari, Karachi, Kochi, Kohima, Kolkata, Lahore, Lucknow, Mahoba, UP, Maliya, Gujarat, Mapusa, Goa, Mumbai, Muzzafarpur, Panjim, Goa, Patiala, Pune, Sangli, Maharashtra, Shorampur, Srinagar, Vadodara -
Nearly 50 allies along with their communities of women have partnered to build Meet To Sleep.
Listed in alphabetical order below.
Akanksha Seva Sadan, Muzzafarpur
Anandi, Godhra,Devgadh Baria, Vadodara, Maliya
Azad Foundation, Delhi
Breakthrough, Delhi
CAFP India, Delhi
Centre for Health and Social Justice, Delhi
Choti Si Khushi, Delhi
CLAAP, Hyderabad
CREA Network
Femme Fridays, Bhopal
Gaurav Gramin Mahila Vikas Sanstha, Shorampur
Girls At Dhabas, Pakistan
Global Concerns India, Bangalore
Gramonnati Sanstha, Mahoba
Hidden Pockets, Bangalore
I Will Go Out, Bangalore
Jagori, Delhi
Kashmir Women's Collective
Kutch Mahila Vikas Sanstha, Kutch
Mahila Mukhti Sanstha, Hazaribag
Malleshwaram Social, Bangalore
Nazariya, Sangli
NLUS, Chennai
NLUS, Jodhpur
Northeast network, Nagaland
Olakh Foundation, Vadodara
One Billion Rising, South Asia
Plan India +AV Baliga Trust + CASP, Delhi
Radio Active 90.4MHz Community Radio, Bangalore
Red Brigade Foundation, Lucknow
Red Dot Foundation, Delhi
Sadbhavana Trust, Lucknow
Sahas Foundation, Delhi
Sahyogini, Bokaro
Sambhaavnaa Institute, Kandbari, Himachal Pradesh
Sangat, Delhi
Sangram, Sangli
Shaheen, Hyderabad
Sneha Foundation, Mumbai
Social Hike, Bangalore
Srijan Foundation, Hazaribag, Jharkhand
Srijanatmak Manushi Sanstha, Delhi
Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore
VAMP (Sex Workers against injustice), Sangli
Vidrohi Mahila Manch ( Rebellious women), Sangli
Vimochana, Bangalore
Where Are The Women, Hyderabad
Why Loiter, Mumbai -
Meet To Sleep has been built under open skies, across sites and places including parks, city benches, the footpath, riverside, lakeside, open ground in rural geographies and also by the sea.
Listed as:
15th Cross park, Malleshwaram, Bangalore, Agara Lake Park, Bangalore, Agonda Beach, Agonda, Amarsons Garden, Bridge Candy, Mumbai, Austin Town Park, Bangalore, Bagh-E-Jinnah, Lawrence Garden,Lahore, Balaji Nagar Public Space, Sangli, Balaji Park, Dwarka, Delhi, Baradari Gardens, Patiala, Barid Shahi Park, Bidar, Baseshar Nath Gotewale Smriti Udyan, Delhi, Bawana, Delhi, BBMP Park, Hebbal, Bangalore, Bear Park, Helsinki, Bhakti Park Udyan, Mumbai, Bokaro Nehru Park, Bokaro, Campal Children’s Park, Panjim, Central Park, Jaipur, Chembur Park, Mumbai, Chinar Park, Bhopal Chittaranjan Vatika Park, Pune, Community grounds, Hazaribag, Cubbon Park, Bangalore, Dadabhai Naroji Park, Mumbai, Deer Park, Delhi, District Park, Chikmaglur, Eco Park, Kolkata, Empress Garden, Pune, Ghanta Ghar, Lucknow, Gol Gumbaz Open Public Area,Bijapur , Hawai Adda, Muzzafarpur, Hemant Karkare Park, Mumbai, Hira Laxmi Park, Bhujodi, Hiranandani Gardens, Mumbai, Hiranandani Estate Joggers Park, Mumbai, I.P Extension Park, Delhi, Indira Park, Hyderabad, Jahangirpuri Park, Delhi, Japanese Park, Delhi, JP Nagar Park, Bangalore, Juhu Beach, Mumbai, Kalkaji, Delhi, Kalyanpuri Ambedkar Park, Delhi, Kamatibag, Vadodara, Kempegowda International Airport Park, Bangalore , Kirat Sagar, Mahoba, Lakaki Lake - Model Colony, Pune, Lawns outside Rajghat, Delhi, Lodhi Garden, Delhi, Lohia Park, Lucknow, Madanpur Khadar Public Park, Maliya Miyana Dargah, Maliya, Mangolpuri Public Park, Mapusa Municipal Garden, Goa, Motilal Nehru Camp, Mughal Garden, Srinagar, Nehru Apartment Park, Delhi, Nehru Park, Hyderabad, Neighborhood Park Bangalore , Nirmal Mahato Public Park, Hazaribag, Outside 16th cross Malleshwaram park, Bangalore, Park in Bhopal, 2016, Park in Dimapur, 2017, Park in Ghaziabad, 2018 , Park in Kandbari, 2017, Park in Islamabad, 2016, Park in, Karachi 2016, Park in Mumbai, 2016, Park next to Andrew Scott School (primary) in East Delhi, 2017, Public space in Devgadh Baria, Public place in Godhra, Ram Manohar Lohia Park, Lucknow, Riverfront Park, Lucknow, Saket E Block Park, Delhi, Sambhaji Park, Pune Sanjeevaiah Park, Hyderabad, Sarita Vihar, Delhi, Semmozhi park, Chennai, Shivalik Park, Dwarka, Delhi, Shorampur High School Open Field, Shorampur, SJ Park, Bangalore Swami Vivekanand Udyavana Park, Bangalore, Umaid Udyan, Jodhpur, Vasant Vihar, Delhi, Vasco De Gama Park, Panaji, Victoria Memorial Park, Kolkata, Vivekananda Park, Kolkata, VC Lawns, Delhi University, Delhi , World War II Cemetery, Kohima
Across parks, fields, river banks, or by the sea.
Gather your girlfriends, let’s do this together.
Under trees
Or on the bench in our streets
We will call the hiding sun.
We will fall into a deep sleep.
Together, let’s build Meet To Sleep
पार्क ,खेत, नदिया, या समुद्र किनारे
सहेलिओं बीच एक दूसरे के सहारे
पेड़ की छाओं में
अपने इलाके की बेंच में
बादलों बीच छुपे सूरज को बुलाएंगे
गहरी नींद सो जायेगें
हम सब मिलकर मीट टू स्लीप बनायेगे I
Where would you like to build your
Meet To Sleep this year?
* खुले आसमान तले
* आज़ादी की ओर
* जहाँ डर भाग गया
* हम सो गये
* खुले आसमान तले * आज़ादी की ओर * जहाँ डर भाग गया * हम सो गये
डर से आज़ाद जीने का अधिकार
III
डर से आज़ाद जीने का अधिकार III
Action Shero Barkha Subba at Meet To Sleep, Bangalore (2018)
Meet To Sleep For Nirbhaya, Jharkhand, Babita Kumari (2017)
Action Shero Madhu at Meet To Sleep, Bangalore (2016)
Meet To Sleep for Jyothi Singh, 2018
Marking 6 years since the murder and gang rape of Jyoti Singh , over 600 Action Sheroes and 19 organisations built Meet To Sleep across 21 towns, villages and regions on 16th December, 2018. Read more here.
Meet to sleep for Jyoti Singh, 2017
Marking 5 years since the murder and gang rape of Jyoti Singh on Dec 16, 2017 - 22 organisations and collectives across India and Pakistan ( Girls at Dhabas) united in sleep. Read more here.
Meet To Sleep, 2016
Meet To Sleep in January, 2016 was a collective action co created by Girls At Dhabas, Pakistan and Action Heroes in Pune, Bombay, Bangalore, Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Why Loiter, Mumbai to name a few. Read more here.
