Aparajita at Jaipur Literature Festival 2025
In February 2025, Aparajita and J-PAL South Asia brought the conversation about gender-based violence to one of India’s most influential literary platforms – the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Why JLF?
The JLF platform was chosen because its audience includes authors, students, media representatives, critics, researchers, and social and political leaders and activists – ideal for igniting discussion on GBV and sexual harassment.
Panel Objectives
The panel served multiple purposes:
- Share Survey Findings: Present findings from surveys conducted in Jaipur and Delhi, revealing that 1 in 2 women in Jaipur and 2 in 3 women in Delhi experienced harassment in the past year
- Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue: Put findings in conversation with perspectives from politicians, policymakers, civil society actors, and authors
- Critical Discussion: Ignite critical discussion on the scope and scale of GBV and sexual harassment in India
- Identify Gaps: Discuss what is missing in current approaches to addressing gender-based violence
- Explore Solutions: Explore how key ecosystem players can come together to solve the problem
- Launch GBV Solve: Formally launch the open call for funding innovative solutions
The Conversation
The panel brought together diverse voices to discuss:
- The urgent need for better data on gender-based violence
- The hidden costs women bear – from choosing lower-quality colleges to spending more on safer routes
- Barriers to reporting and why 68.7% of women don’t file formal complaints
- The role of evidence-based solutions in addressing the problem
- How different stakeholders – from government to civil society – can collaborate
Impact
The JLF platform provided an opportunity to reach a wide and influential audience, sparking conversations that continue beyond the festival. The panel helped raise awareness about the scale of the problem and the need for evidence-based solutions.
Most importantly, it marked the formal launch of GBV Solve – our open funding call for innovative ideas to address sexual harassment and violence in India.
Moving Forward
The conversations at JLF reinforced the urgency of Aparajita’s mission: to bridge the data gap and support evidence-based solutions that can make a real difference in women’s lives.
As we continue this work, we remain committed to bringing together diverse voices, sharing evidence, and supporting innovations that can create a safer India for women.