Kirthi Jayakumar
Kirthi Jayakumar | |
---|---|
![]() Kirthi Jayakumar at FICCI FLO, July 2016 | |
Born | Kirthi Jayakumar 15 December 1987 Bangalore, India |
Nationality | Indian |
Occupation(s) | Peace and Gender Equality Activist, Author and Artist |
Kirthi Jayakumar (born 15 December 1987) is an Indian women's rights activist, a social entrepreneur, a peace activist, artist, lawyer and writer.[1] She is a Commonwealth Scholar, a Vital Voices (VV) Lead Fellow, a VV Engage Fellow, a Local Pathways Fellow, and a World Pulse Impact Leader. Kirthi is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
She founded The Red Elephant Foundation, an initiative built on storytelling, civilian peace-building and activism for gender equality. She also founded The Gender Security Project, an initiative aimed at expanding the global understanding of gender at the policy, legal, and institutional levels. She is the author of Stories of Hope, a collection of short stories; The Dove's Lament, also a collection of short stories and Doodlers of Dimashq - A Heart Wrenching Tale of Hope From Syria's Rubble. She received the US Presidential Services Medal in 2011[2] and two United Nations' Online Volunteering Awards in 2012[3] and 2013.[4]
Biography
Kirthi was born as Kirthi Jayakumar in Bangalore, India, to Hindu parents. She studied Law at the School of Excellence in Law, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.[5][6]
She earned her MA in Sustainable Peace in a Contemporary World from UPeace, Costa Rica.[7] She is currently a student at the Centre for Trust, Peace, and Security at Coventry University, doing her Master's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies on a Commonwealth Scholarship. She has worked as a UN Online Volunteer,[8] and as a freelance journalist.
Artist
Kirthi is an artist, working on pen and ink to curate "Zen doodles."[9] She uses doodling as a means to express her activism for gender equality and peace education.[10]
She runs an Instagram based project called Femcyclopaedia[11][12][13] where she doodles portraits of inspiring women through the ages and from across the world and curates their stories under these portraits.[14] The story of Femcyclopaedia won a Story Award from World Pulse in February 2017.[15]
Kirthi curated an exhibit for International Women's Day and Women's History Month at the US Consulate General in Chennai as part of Femcyclopaedia.[16][17][18]
Writer
Stories of Hope is Kirthi’s first solo book, comprising a collection of short stories. She co-authored a book titled Love Me Mama: The Unfavoured Child, along with Elsie Ijorogu-Reed, the founder of Delta Women NGO.[19]She is also the author of The Dove's Lament, published by Readomania. The book was nominated for the Muse India Young Author's Award in 2015.[20] A review by Femina of The Dove's Lament suggests that, "Kirthi embroiders a tapestry of unvanquished human spirit in words."[21]
The Times of India reviewed The Dove's Lament, with its critic opining that "...The Dove's Lament takes the reader to several such places with a compassion that shakes you to your very core."[22]
Theatre
Kirthi wrote a play, Frankly Speaking,[23][24] which, essentially starts off from where The Diary of Anne Frank ends. The play channels the voices of eight young women from conflict zones in different parts of the world, and is interspersed with passages from The Diary of Anne Frank.[25][26][27]
She also wrote and acted in HerStory, which brings twelve women from history alive through poetry, performed through contemporary dance in sync with spoken word poetry.[28] Kirthi wrote a monologue and performed it as part of Dolls, by Crea-Shakthi.[29]
Kirthi also lent her voice to the audiobook version of "Like A Girl" by Aparna Jain, where she narrated the stories of Justice Leila Seth, Mayawati, Jayalalithaa, Dipa Karmakar, Shah Bano Begum, Tessy Thomas, and Gauri Sawant.[30]
Activist
Kirthi is an activist on women's rights issues and peace and conflict. She runs The Red Elephant Foundation. She has worked in voluntary capacities with "16 civil societies and UN agencies"[8] through the UN Online Volunteering program.[31] She is a columnist for the Deccan Chronicle/Asian Age.[32]
Kirthi is a Global Youth Ambassador with A World At School run by Sarah Brown.[33][34]
She coded an app for survivors of Gender-Based Violence, called Saahas,[35] to help them find help across nine verticals, across 196 countries.[36] It serves as a tool for bystander intervention support.[37]
In 2013, Kirthi founded her own initiative, The Red Elephant Foundation.[38][39] She produced two e-Books on entrepreneurship in Africa with the AAE[40] and headed a team that worked for the opening of the first ever school in Okoijorogu, Nigeria, a village that had never had a school for its children until 2013.[4]
Public speaking
In October 2016, Kirthi delivered a TEDx Talk at TEDxChennai, addressing her work around peace education as a solution to end bullying.[41][42] In November 2017, she delivered a TEDx Talk at TEDxChoice, addressing her art project, Femcyclopaedia.[43]
In November 2016, she delivered a talk at the National Edu-Start Up Conference in Pune, talking about Peace Education as a sustainable solution to create well rounded citizens.[44]
Kirthi was a speaker at Lakshya-SSN's annual event, SYCON, speaking about her work with The Red Elephant Foundation and the curation of the GBV Help Map.[45] She was the keynote speaker at SRM Aarambh, speaking about her story as a social entrepreneur in the Gender Equality space.[46]
In April 2017, Kirthi addressed the Rotary Club of Madras South on the topic "Women's Empowerment: Myths and Realities."[47] She spoke at the Economic Times Women's Summit in March 2018, on her work with her app, Saahas.[48]
Kirthi was a speaker at ISFiT 2019 alongside Tawakkol Karman and Gro Harlem Brundtland, addressing women and peacebuilding.[49][50]
Awards and recognition
Kirthi is the recipient of the United States Presidential Service Award from US Consul General Jennifer McIntyre.[2][51][52] She won the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. She received two United Nations Online Volunteering Awards, in 2012 and 2013, for her work with Delta Women and the Association for African Entrepreneurs.[3]
In 2015, Kirthi was nominated for the Digital Women Awards 2015, presented by She The People TV.[53]
In March 2016, she was one of the EU top 200 Women in the World of Development Wall of Fame. She was also one of the nominated changemakers for the United State of Women 2016.[54] She is a two-time story award winner with World Pulse, and her work has been picked up and published by Time Magazine.[38][55]
Kirthi has been acknowledged by India Today as one of the "Game changers" in the city of Chennai, "who are transforming the city with inspiring thought and hard work."[56]
She was the youngest speaker to address a gathering at FICCI FLO, Chennai.[57]
In September 2016, Kirthi was a shortlistee for the Rising Stars Award 2016 by We are the City India,[58] which she went onto win. In October 2016, she was recognized as one of the "52 Feminists" by 52Feminists.com.[59]
In October 2016, Kirthi was recognized as a Burgundy Achiever at the Digital Women Awards 2016, presented by She The People TV.[60] She received the Peace Award from the Global Peace Initiative in November 2016.[61][62] She was selected as an Impact Leader at World Pulse in November 2016.[63] She won the Orange Flower Award for Video Blogging, awarded by Women's Web.[64][65] Kirthi was featured in Sarah Brown's Better Angels Podcast alongside UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Harriet Lamb, and Jakaya Kikwete.[66]
Kirthi was featured on Google's WomenWill Landing page on International Women's Day, 2017, as part of a five-women-stories feature by World Pulse.[67] She was declared as one of "eleven of India's feminist bloggers who are making a difference to women's lives" by Women's Web.[68] She was featured on Show of Force: Social Good.[69] She was awarded Outstanding Social Entrepreneur (NGO) of the Year, by FICCI FLO Chennai (2018)[70] Kirthi received the Heroes of Chennai Award in the Social Good category in November 2018.[71] She also serves as a member of the youth council as part of the Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC-Education).[72]
List of awards received
- US Presidential Services Medal (Gold, Silver and Bronze) 2011-2012[2]
- UN Online Volunteer of the Year Award (Delta Women) 2012[73]
- UN Online Volunteer of the Year Award (Association of African Entrepreneurs) 2012[73]
- UN Online Volunteer of the Year Award (Delta Women) 2013[74]
- UN Online Volunteer of the Year Award (Association of African Entrepreneurs) 2013[75]
- Finalist, Muse India Young Author's Award in 2015.[20]
- Rising Stars of India Award (We Are The City India) 2016[76]
- The Peace Award (Global Peace Initiative) 2016[77]
- Orange Flower Award for Video Blogging, Orange Flower Awards, (Women's Web), 2016[78]
- Local Pathways Fellow (UN SDSN), 2017[79]
- Social Entrepreneur of the Year, 2017 (Brew Magazine)[80]
- Young Achiever (Entrepreneurship) MOP Yuva Samman (2017-2018)[81]
- Outstanding Social Entrepreneur (NGO) of the Year, FICCI FLO Chennai (2018)[70]
- Nominee, True Honour Awards, 2018[82]
- Outstanding Woman Achiever Award 2018, FICCI FLO, Jaipur (2018)[83]
- Vital Voices VV Engage Fellow (2018)[84]
- Heroes of Chennai - Social Good (Rising) (2018)[71]
- HerStory Woman on a Mission Award (March 2019)
- Web Wonder Woman (Ministry of Women and Child Development, Twitter India and Breakthrough India) (March 2019)[85]
- CII-IWN Award for Unsung Heroes, March 2019
- Best Feminist Voice, The Lifestyle Journal Awards, August 2019[86]
Writing
Books
- Game Changers: Untold Stories Of Indian Feminists From The Past And The Present (Hay House India, 2020)
- The Doodler of Dimashq (Readomania, 2017)
- The Dove's Lament (Readomania, 2015)
- Stories of Hope (Maitreya, 2013)
Chapters
- Mother of the Nations (Demeter Press, Contributor, 2015)[87]
- Routledge Handbook of South Asian Criminology (Routledge, Contributor, 2019)[88]
References
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- ^ "Zen doodling is something that one doesn't have to 'learn' - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ Badiyani, Darshith (26 November 2016). "Interview with Kirthi Jayakumar". Smiles here & Smiles there. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
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- ^ "Doodle tribute for my heroes". The Asian Age. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ "Femcylopaedia Is A Labour Of Love – Immortalising Women Who Ought To Be Remembered". Women's Web: For Women Who Do. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
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- ^ admin (28 July 2013). "IndieView with Elsie Ijorogu-Reed, author of Love Me Mama: The Unfavored Child". The IndieView. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
- ^ a b Mazumdar, Arunima. "A reader's guide to the six books in the running for the Muse India Young Writer Award". Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "The Dove's Lament". Facebook.com. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Review: The Dove's Lament (An Anthology)". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Remembering Anne Frank". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- ^ "Frankly Speaking An Evening of Immersive Theatre". Timeout.com. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
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- ^ "Self Defense Workshops, Performances & Navaratri Tales At This Festival". LBB. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ Venkatesa, Nikhil (8 March 2019). "Audible India celebrates International Women's Day". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "Startup World And Sexual Harassment: Bizarre Or Normal? Women Speak Out". Shethepeople.tv. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Deccan Chronicle/Asian Age". Asianage.com. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- ^ "Global Youth Ambassador of the Month". Theirworld. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- ^ "2017: an inspiring year of campaigning for children's rights by our Global Youth Ambassadors". Theirworld.org. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Pocket aids keep you safe in dark alleys, at late hours - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- ^ "A voice for the vulnerable". deccanchronicle.com. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- ^ "Why I Created The Saahas App For Survivors Of Gender Based Violence To Find Help". Women's Web: For Women Who Do. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- ^ a b Pulse, Kirthi Jayakumar. "Why Telling Difficult Stories Is So Important". TIME.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Creating a change". The Hindu. 26 September 2012. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "AAE's Team wins 2012 Volunteering Award - Association of African Entrepreneurs - About". 20 November 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ Bureau, Our (23 October 2016). "Life lessons from an oarsman and a cheeky writer". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
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- ^ "Tushar Gandhi not happy with Indian education system". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ^ "Lakshya of SSN, to inspire youth". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
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- ^ Pulse, Kirthi Jayakumar/World. "What Happened When I Tried to Dress to Avoid Catcalls". TIME.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
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- ^ "Rising Stars Award 2016 Shortlist". Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
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- ^ a b Online Volunteering Award. "UNDP Press Release" (PDF). Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ "Delta Women Team". Onlinevolunteering.org. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "Association of African Entrepreneurs Team". Onlinevolunteering.org. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "Kirthi Jayakumar | The Red Elephant Foundation". WeAreTheCity Rising Star Awards. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "A message of universal peace, unity and harmony by WeSchool on the eve of 26/11 | Beyond the Walls - Welingkar Blog". Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "The Orange Flower Awards". Women's Web: For Women Who Do. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "2017 Fellows". LOCAL PATHWAYS. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ Gobeyondpink. "Kirthi Jayakumar – The Peacemaker Fighting Against Bullying". gobeyondpink.com. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "MOP honours three women achievers with Yuva Samman". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "True Honour Awards 2018". IKWRO. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ^ "FLO Acheivers Award & Change of Guard Ceremony". FICCI FLO. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
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- ^ "Routledge Handbook of South Asian Criminology: 1st Edition (Hardback) - Routledge". Routledge.com. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- Living people
- 1987 births
- Indian feminists
- Indian women's rights activists
- Indian women novelists
- Indian women activists
- Activists from Karnataka
- 21st-century Indian lawyers
- Indian women lawyers
- 21st-century Indian women writers
- 21st-century Indian novelists
- Indian social entrepreneurs
- Indian human rights activists
- Indian women political writers
- Feminist bloggers
- Feminist artists
- Businesswomen from Karnataka
- Businesspeople from Bangalore
- 21st-century Indian businesswomen
- 21st-century Indian businesspeople
- Indian women bloggers
- Indian bloggers