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MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT



This project is grounded in a Marxist-Feminist philosophy which expands thinking about labor to reproductive labor, commonly described as “housework” or “domestic work,” most traditionally executed by women. This work is often perceived as natural “feminine” duties encouraging a biological destiny for women in which love– rather than wages or money– is meant to serve as its own reward. This project sees housework as more than just housework. It is the servicing of waged workers emotionally, physically, and sexually. The labor of “love” includes but is not limited to pregnancy, childcare, daily cooking and cleaning, emotional support, and sex. Economically, the labor of “love” is the production and reproduction of labor power and human capital, or a person’s capacity to work. Silvia Federici, author of Wages Against Housework, writes that this perspective “is the only revolutionary perspective from a feminist viewpoint and ultimately for the entire working class.”

The Kickstarter Campaign for Mai Ni Meriye was launched in January 2024 to raise funds for the production budget. With the generous contributions of 51 different backers, and a few private donors, the campaign successfully raised nearly USD $10K in 1-month. All of the funding went into the production of the project, including the artists, film production, printing, NGO collaborators, individual participants, and the community launch event.

Thanks to public admiration and appreciation, the project has continued to grow.

SCHOLARSHIP THAT INFORMED THE PROJECT

Federici, Silvia. Wages Against Housework, 1975.

Federici, Silvia. Patriarchy of the Wage: Notes on Marx, Gender, and Feminism. PM Press, 2021.

Armstrong, Elisabeth. Gender and neoliberalism: The All India Democratic Women’s Association and its strategies of resistance. New Delhi, India: LeftWord, 2021.

Bhattacharya, Shrayana. Desperately seeking Shah Rukh: India’s Lonely Young Women and the search for intimacy and Independence. India: HarperCollins Publishers India, 2022.

Samantroy, Ellina, and Subhalakshmi Nandi. Gender, Unpaid Work and Care in India. Taylor & Francis, 2022.

Gotby, Alva. They Call It Love: The Politics of Emotional Life. Verso Books, 2024.

Special Thank you to Dr. Sona Mitra at IWWAGE

Institute for What Works to Advance Gender Equality (IWWAGE) aims to build on existing research and generate new evidence to inform and facilitate the agenda of women’s economic empowerment.

Special Thank you to Falma Chauhan at AIDWA Himachal Pradesh

The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) is an independent left oriented women's organization committed to achieving democracy, equality, and women's emancipation.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

AASHNA SINGH @aashnaaashna

Aashna Singh is a freelance producer, curator, and project manager with a B.A. in Economics from Barnard College and M.A. in Gender and Sexuality studies from the University of Chicago (2025). Career background includes government and NGO (City of New York), fashion (MZ Wallace), and corporate social impact (DoorDash).

FARHEEN FATIMA @farheenay

Farheen Fatima (b. 1994) is a photographer based in Chandigarh, India. Her practice focuses on tenderness, belonging, and the emotional landscapes of everyday life, often in overlooked small cities and public spaces. Fatima’s commissions include Apple, VSCO, and Getty Images. Her photographs have been published in Vogue India, Verve India, Grazia India, The Bengaluru Review to name a few. She has also exhibited at India Art Fair, Chennai Photo Biennale, and Serendipity Arts Festival as well as internationally.

ABHINAV SHARMA Documentary Short Film @_abhi.7s

Abhinav Sharma (b. 1992) is a photographer who studied Computer engineering, and documentary Photography. He has been photographing since 2015. He works as a photographer and videographer both solo and in collaboration with other artists. His practice reflects his interest in Experimental, Documentary photography and working with analogue printmaking using some early techniques of making photographic prints. Stray Bird a hand made photo book which was part of a group Exhibition at India Habitat Center (Delhi) in 2018; LookIn (2018-2022); Skin (2017); and SomeWhereInBetween (2016-2023) are some of his other projects. His other ongoing projects are Look around, People by the water.

Other Artists featured in the project

ASHITA THAKUR Comic Strip (Photobook) @ashita_thakur

HAZEL TOMLINSON ‘I don’t know if I want to be a mother’ (Photobook) @hazel_olivia

RADHESH KAUSHIK Documentary Short Film: Second Camera Man @radhesh_kaushik

NGO COLLABORTORS

Jagori Rural Charitable Trust

Jagori Rural Charitable Trust (“Jagori Grameen”), A Non-Governmental Organization is located in Rakkar, a village in the foothills of the Himalayas near Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.

Mahila Sahityakar Sansthan Kangra

A local political organization committed to empowering rural women in the region.