While family is seen as outside of 9-5 working conditions, often painted as an escape or reward from or for the hardships of the grind, feminist literature and media for decades has been exposing that, actually, the family and our gendered relations are part of the same systems as that of paid work, but overlooked and undervalued. Reclaiming Reproduction aims to be a space that investigates this phenomenon, and draws out the complicated and fraught tensions between family, gender, and politics through theoretical explorations of lived experiences and stories from the mountains of Dharamshala, India to the streets of Chicago, USA.

We are reclaiming reproduction to be more than the “biological,” but expand our definition to include the cultural, social, material, and political.

We will be screening the short film, Mai Ni Meriye, a documentary composed of 19 interviews with women in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India about their lived experiences, with a particular focus on their familial responsibilities. Inspired by the International Wages for Housework movement, started by feminists of the 1970s, Mai Ni Meriye sought to understand housework from women at the grassroots level and humanize the subject. The larger goal of the project is to galvanize interest in the “labor of love” from small village discussions over tea to mainstream platforms with influential voices--all in service of a new perspective on women and housework.

The film will be followed by a panel discussion with Aashna and folks from MAMAS and Lux Magazine. All proceeds from this event will go towards the the Sameer Project, a donations based initiative led by Palestinians in the diaspora working to supply aid to displaced families in Gaza.

Join us for an evening of film, reflection, and conversation.

Childcare and refreshments will be provided.