Award-winning Indian artist, photographer, and activist Poulomi Basu uses her platform to shed light on the experiences of women and people from marginalized communities. Her personal work has looked at such issues as the conflict between an indigenous tribe in Central India and state forces; and the training undergone by India's first women soldiers. On WePresent, we spoke to Poulomi about “Blood Speaks: A Ritual of Exile,” a multimedia project about chaupadi—an extreme practice in western Nepal where Hindu women and girls are banished from their homes during their monthly menstruation, exposed to elements and at risk of interpersonal violence and trauma. A respected photojournalist, Poulomi has also completed assignments for the Financial Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, the Washington Post, NPR, and the New York Times.
