Young Feminists Finding their 5th Space
It’s never too late to find yourself and never too early to explore. ComMutiny – the Youth Collective organised a film screening at the Tech Center where films based on the principle of “fifth space” – an exploratory space where one undertakes a journey from self to society by making the other four spaces of family, friends, career/education and leisure count.
The films centred on broadening the horizon of girls on important issues like education, career and participating in decision making process that they have been constantly shunned from. The girls were asked to think of a space where they feel free to think and act. This was a perplexing question for them because they belong to a socially oppressed class where their entitlements are none and their voices are muted. Therefore, to get time to engage in your passion seemed like a distant idea for them.
The first film that was screened – Zindagi ki Uljhano Mein (made on a song) is one that calls out to young people to transcend beyond the imagination that society pushes towards them and asks them imagine what they really want and think of ideas that appeals to them. This was the first notion that the girls developed about the fifth space—that it’s a space to think freely. After the screening of this film, girls were asked about their understanding, to which they all raised their voice in unison and stated, “hume apni aankhein khol ni chahiye aur apne sapno ko sakar karne ke liye aage bhadna chahiye (we need to open our eyes to fulfil our dreams)”
Following this and to help them discover their fifth space further 18 Till I Die was screened. The film speaks of engaging the youth in decision making process and valuing their opinions by not dismissing them. It speaks in them terms of using youth of India as a valid constituency and not as an ignorant one. The girls realized the urgent need to take their own opinions and ideas seriously understanding that their voices can represent their individual struggles.
Little girls giggled at the animations and got excited by the young voice that was calling out to them. Someone from the crowd whispered: The decision to study and contribute to society should be mine. Why am I being coerced to get married? The eyes widened further as they were explained the concept of learning by action. They all seemed very apprehensive about the idea until they watched the film Trikon Khriki Wala. This film is based on the idea of learning through actions and practise and not by just pouring over textbooks. The film surfaced that every concept and idea taught in class can be learnt through actions and experiments. The idea behind this process is not only to learn the concept but understand it as a lived experience which can never be forgotten.
In the discussion that followed this film, girls stated how this idea is very empowering as their knowledge will become unchallengeable. At the same time, they also admitted the poor conditions of government schools where basic infrastructural facilities like science and computer labs do not exist. Therefore, education provided to them is not holistic. They realized that in the fifth space everything can be practised, is action oriented and therefore the knowledge generation is lived and not just based on someone else’s experiences.
While girls were learning about this fifth space and its components they were asked how these learning and explorations can contribute towards changing society for better. They were also asked how their interests and passions can become a medium to contribute to societal development. There was an intense debate on whether interests can be used consciously to reach the desired aim. To provide credibility to this narrative the girls were a shown another film Mazil.
In this film, many individuals pursue their passions like dance, singing, theatre and playing instruments and teach the same. This resulted in girls confessing about their areas of interests which ranged from wanting to be dancers, singers to writers and facilitators.
At the culmination of the screening, as girls reviewed the concept of fifth space, they realized that the Tech Center was one of its own. Here, they come to learn computers but also have the space to think, imagine, act, and pursue what they want and however they want. No judgements are involved and no norms are imposed. They also immediately drew connections between fifth space and feminism and how both work towards providing personal and social freedom for all. The session ended with girls promising to build many more such spaces that allows them to be in their true selves without any qualms.
