OMI Foundation Releases Data Comics 'Moving While Woman: Bindu's Big City Journey'

OMI Foundation has released its first ever data comics, titled "Moving While Woman: Bindu's Big City Journey." This remarkable visual narrative offers a fresh and innovative perspective on the unique experiences of women and trans/non-binary individuals as they navigate the intricacies of urban mobility in India.

“Bindu’s Big City Journey” is part of OMI Foundation’s larger campaign around intersections of gender and urban mobility, titled “Moving While Woman”. Drawing on comprehensive research and real-world experiences, the campaign hopes to provide a captivating glimpse into the multifaceted challenges faced by women and gender-diverse individuals while moving within our cities. 

Designed and developed in collaboration with Leewardists, the data comics sheds light on the nuanced differences that encompass the mobility journeys of these individuals through vivid illustrations and thought-provoking storytelling. It covers a range of aspects from safety concerns, affordability and accessibility limitations to the pervasive issues of harassment and unequal access to public transportation. Some examples are - 40% Indian women find metro trains unaffordable; 43.6% women in India lack ready access to understand bus routes and schedules, and so on.

One of the key strengths of “Bindu’s Big City Journey" is its ability to address the intersections of identity and experience. The comics delves into the amplified challenges encountered by women from marginalised castes and communities, women with disabilities, senior citizens, women travelling with children, and trans/ non-binary individuals. For example, it points out how trans/non-binary people are 4 to 5 times more likely to be harassed on public transport in India. By highlighting the diverse realities faced by these groups, the comics provides a platform for awareness, empathy, and advocacy, fostering a deeper understanding of the issues that underlie urban mobility. 

"We are thrilled to introduce 'Moving While Woman: Bindu's Big City Journey', a powerful and visually compelling narrative that brings attention to the often-overlooked challenges faced by women and gender-diverse individuals in the purview of urban mobility," said Aishwarya Raman, Executive Director, OMI Foundation. "This data comics is meant to serve as a catalyst for discussions, collaborations, and initiatives among city planners, administrations, law enforcement authorities, civil society, and consumers of urban mobility systems. We believe initiating such a dialogue can drive change that leads to building safer, more affordable, inclusive, and accessible Indian cities for all.”

The data comics is available for free download on OMI Foundation https://bit.ly/MovingWhileWoman. It is designed to be accessible to a wide audience, from policymakers and urban planners to community members and activists. 

For more information about "Moving While Woman: Bindu's Big City Journey" and OMI Foundation's mission, please visit https://omifoundation.org or contact lubhanshi.jain@omifoundation.org.

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