Using Cinema as a Culturally-Responsive Community Engagement Tool for Primary Prevention

On part one of this podcast, Dr. Meghna Bhat explains the role cinema plays in prevention. Meghna shares an example of this through recapping her dissertation research on Bollywood cinema and its impact on gender-based violence prevention for the Indian diaspora in the United States.

Join us on part two of this podcast to learn about cinema’s impact and potential for prevention, especially for reaching resistant groups.

Curious to know more about Bollywood cinema and violence prevention? Read Meghna’s Ms. Magazine article “What Does ‘Feminism’ Mean in Bollywood?”

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Born and raised in Mumbai, India and having moved to the U.S. in 2004, Dr. Meghna Bhat’s experiences of surviving sexual assault and sexual harassment motivated her to be an outspoken advocate against gender violence and social injustice. She received her PhD in Criminology, Law, and Justice from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a specialization in Gender and  Women Studies. Dr. Bhat’s dissertation explored images of violence against women in Bollywood Indian cinema and its implications for the Indian diaspora in the United States. Dr. Bhat has 14 years of diverse work experience both in campus and community settings, ranging from interdisciplinary gender-based research and prevention, program administration, teaching and training, and event organizing.

She is passionate about using film/cinema and storytelling as a tool to create social change and community dialogue, gender violence prevention education and outreach, cultural competency, street harassment, and racial, social and immigrant justice. As a current board member at the National Girls and Women of Color Council, Inc. (NGWCC) and an alumnus of the National Women’s Studies Association Women of Color Project 2018 cohort, Dr. Bhat is committed to using her lived experiences to mentor, empower, advance, and support other girls and women of color. Based in Sacramento, she currently volunteers for Stop Street Harassment and StoryCenter.