A 10-day national cartoon exhibition and festival addressing violence against women and girls through satire and storytelling is under way at the National Art Gallery-6 of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the capital Dhaka.
The festival is supported by the Government of Canada and jointly organised by Cartoon People, Bonhishikha 鈥� Unlearn Gender and Maa Er Doa Studio in partnership with the United Nations Women Bangladesh to challenge and prevent violence against women and girls in Bangladesh by using the wit and visual power of cartoons.
Inaugurated on October 30, the festival consists of exhibitions, mural art, interactive installations, animation, video games, workshop, round table and live performances at the venue.
鈥楥artoons for Equality鈥� features over 200 selected cartoons and comics from hundreds of submissions of professional and emerging cartoonists across Bangladesh while the artworks attempt to create public dialogue to reimagine narratives around gender equality.
These single-image cartoons and comic strips depict how women and girls experience violence in everyday spaces 鈥� at home, workplaces and schools, in public, and in digital spaces.
Rehnuma Proshoon鈥檚 cartoon titled 鈥極rna Koi鈥� won the first prize among top 200 entries. The cartoon criticises bullying at workplaces by portraying that a Bangladeshi woman lands on the moon, while people of Bangladesh are asking her where her scarf is.
Shamse Ara Naher Mohona, who won the second prize for her cartoon titled 鈥楶alm Up鈥�, addresses violence against women at home.
Junaid Iqbal Ishmam鈥檚 artwork titled 鈥業nternet Sharks鈥� shows violence and bullying against women and girls in digital space. The artwork won the third prize.
Ramisa Nawar鈥檚 cartoon titled 鈥楴ot about the Dress鈥� shows women and girls from all classes, races and religions are victims of violence.
The event will also organise a 鈥楥artoonists鈥� Round Table鈥� as part of the festival on November 7 at the exhibition venue while singer Warda Ashraf and cartoonist Rashad Imam Tanmoy with artists who were bullied online or directly targeted by digital mobs will share their experiences and recommendations regarding the issues.
The festival will end on November 8.