NGOs, Counterpublics, and the Need for Affective Change to Defy the Rhetoric on Gender-Based Violence in India

Although the media in India offers various examples of the mainstream population vehemently protesting brutal rapes of women, subtler forms of violence against women continue to be normalized. In many ways, Indian society continues to confer a secondary standing to women, maintaining age-old regressive affective inclinations toward them. Using rhetorical analysis, this article explores how some NGOs in India act as counterpublics, aiding in the transformation of these affective inclinations toward women to foster an enduring change in how women are perceived. The study explores these NGOs' rhetorical strategies and offers practical implications for other organizations.