Art by Shehzil Malik

Kamli is a Pakistani-American feminist collective.

We gather revolutionary minds to create power and community in the diaspora, for a world free of gender-based oppression.

Kamli / Mad

Kamli is a Punjabi word that signifies madness — literally, it means a person who is crazy.

In Punjabi poetry, it is used in the Kafi (a verse form employed by the mystics and sufis of Sindh and Punjab), for someone who is passionate and rebellious, who has defied norms and broken from convention to take the untreaded path.

In our mission to disobey patriarchial norms, make our own rules and create our freedom, we feel the craze of a Kamli.

Words from the Kamlis

  • “The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet.”

    — Adrienne Rich

  • “The power of patriarchy is strong, and our power to imagine our freedom from it must be even more ferocious.”

    — Mona Eltahawy

  • "My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you."

    — Audre Lorde

  • "The most important silence is around the issues of family and sexuality, the mainstay of patriarchy and women’s subjugation."

    — Rubina Saigol

  • "I have always had to invent the power my freedom requires."

    — June Jordan

  • We welcome ideas for our virtual and in-person events for Kamli. Examples include book readings with authors, music, art or cultural gatherings with a South Asian and feminist lens, poetry readings, panel discussions, gatherings focused on political mobilization and salon groups focused on relevant topics. If you have recommendations for topics or individuals for our events, get in touch.

  • We are looking for contributions to our essays section, as well as ideas to expand our offering of digital and offline content, including regular publications like newsletters and e-zines. If you have experience with social media content, reach out to see if you can help run our accounts (primarily instagram and twitter).

  • We love collaborating with artists and creatives who use their work for political expression and resistance. We are looking for art for our digital content, on our website, as one-off collaborations and in the future for our physical space.

  • In 2023, we plan to open a cafe-bookstore in Brooklyn that will serve as the physical hub for all of Kamli’s activities. If you want to be part of the team that will plan and execute this, write to us!

  • We believe in allying with other feminist collectives and South Asian groups. If you are part of a group or collective with a mission that aligns with ours, we would love to host a joint event, or meet to discuss how to build collective power.

  • Share Kamli with people in your circle, invite them to our events, ask them to volunteer and contribute to our mission by doing any of the above.

How To Get Involved

Pakistani-American Feminist Work

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