PRIYA’S SHAKTI
a comic to raise awareness about gender-based sexual violence in India and around the world
An innovative social impact multimedia project that helps illuminate attitudes towards gender-based violence (GBV), Priya’s Shakti arose in the aftermath of a highly-publicized gang rape on a bus in New Delhi in December 2012 that outraged India and the world. The project centers on the Goddess Parvati and Priya, a mortal woman devotee and survivor of rape and is rooted in ancient matriarchal traditions that have been displaced in modern representations of Hindu culture. It creates an alternative narrative and voice against GBV in popular culture through the Hindu mythological canon. Through its message, this project can reach wide audiences in India and around the world—anywhere GBV is an issue. Central to the project is an augmented reality (AR) comic book & exhibition – the first of its kind with international outreach and social engagement.