Art by Shehzil MalikKamli 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 injustice.
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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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In the future, 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!
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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.
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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
On Our Radar
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Misha Japanwala
ARTIST
Misha’s art defies boundaries. Her signature breastplates—molded from, and cast to fit her chest—are a reclamation of our bodies, a subversion of the male gaze, and a rebellion against the hyper-sexualization and shaming of the female form.
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Sarah Khan
ACADEMIC
An Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale, Sarah’s research lies at the intersection of gender and politics, with a focus on South Asia. Sarah studies barriers to women’s political participation and representation, and questions related to the prevention of violence against women.
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Shahzia Sikander
ARTIST
Shahzia’s paintings, mosaics and sculptures explore gender roles and sexuality, cultural identity, racial narratives, and colonial and postcolonial histories. She interrogates ideas of language, trade, empire, and migration through imperial and feminist perspectives.
