Neha Singh – Indian Campaigner

The actress and writer Neha Singh encourages many women in India to reclaim the public space they are in and to ignore harassment. The 34-year-old has started a movement that encourages women to “walk the streets of Mumbai to defy harassment”.

The campaign she founded encourages women to report all instances of rape and sexual harassment against men in authority. Ever since the fatal rape that happened four years ago, which shocked the whole world, many women do not want to be seen as victims.

In fact, many women in India are speaking up about the violence that has been going on. Singh is one of the few women who is brave enough to make a real change. Every single month, she sends out a mass text message regarding the next midnight walk in the streets of Mumbai to many women. The group of women decide on a date and meet at midnight with the intent to loiter until three in the morning.

In India, it is rare to see a woman out at night, let alone a group of women making a statement. In fact, even the best-lit streets in India are very unsafe after midnight for women. However, there are many women, like Singh, that refuse to be kept in at night.

The feminine name Neha means “loving” in Sanskrit or Hindi. The name can also be translated to mean “eyes” or “rain”. There are many notable people with the name, like Neha Aggarwal the Indian table tennis player.