Raabta is a Hindi/Urdu word that means "connection," "link," or "relation." It is often used to refer to a meaningful connection between place, people, things, or ideas

Men and women experience urban life in different ways because of their distinctive social gender roles. This differentiation has influenced planning methodologies since men are typically seen as primarily responsible for activities outside the home, often associated with freedom, while women are expected to take on the role of managing household chores, often confined within the home.

Regrettably, very often the field of urban planning and policy perpetuates this mistaken mindset by establishing gender and intersectionality-blind zones that fail to foster a sense of belonging and neglect the agency of women within the city. Studies also reveal a disparity between men and women in education, employment opportunities, and engagement in the decision-making process, suggesting that cities have evolved into environments where women are predominantly confined to traditional gender roles.

However, women have in the past and continue to negotiate their ‘space’ in the city and have shaped 'cities'. Women contribute at a multitude of levels to the economic, social, cultural, and political constructs of the city. How women feel a sense of 'belonging' to a city or a settlement, is directly influenced by their act of negotiation and also builds on the constructs shaped by women before them.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, "belonging" encompasses three main meanings: firstly, being a member of a group, household, society, etc.; secondly, being connected or associated with something; and thirdly, being appropriately situated or fitting into a particular environment. Moreover, belonging often intertwines with past and present experiences, memories, and future connections to a place, evolving over-time. De Certeau’s book The Practice of Everyday Life (1984) constructs the notion of belonging as a sentiment, which is built up and grows out of everyday life activities. Everyday activities in the city are part of a process of appropriation and territorialization.

Raabta, an initiative by Nidhi Batra in collaboration with Sehreeti Developmental Practices Foundation, supported by Khoj International Artists' Association, explores these concepts of how women have shaped cities, how the city shapes women in turn, how women use and access the public realm of the city, what agency they have in the city, and what sense of belonging they have. These aspects have been explored in the historic urban village of Mehrauli, Delhi, which is one of the first cities of Delhi.

Raabta is a place and art-based research initiative that aims to unveil the multifaceted narratives of women's presence, contributions, belongingness, and agency within the public realm of Mehrauli.

The initiative delves into the profound role that women have historically played in shaping the vibrant tapestry of Mehrauli, and how they continue to influence its development today. As a journey into the lives of both sheroes and everyday women who have contributed significantly to the essence of Mehrauli, the initiative explores their contributions, whether through cultural practices, community engagement, or economic activities.

It scrutinizes the contemporary relationship between women and the public spaces of Mehrauli. It investigates how women access and experience these spaces, questioning whether they are afforded equal opportunities to enjoy and utilize them. Furthermore, it endeavors to understand the agency of women in Mehrauli, examining whether they actively participate in the decision-making processes that shape their settlement.

To reframe history from the feminist perspectives of other women, and capture the narratives of the present, the project aims to capture insightful versions of engagement that help shape and lay claims on who gets to access and enjoy the city.

"I once dreamt I was telling stories and felt someone tapping my foot in encouragement.
I looked down and saw that I was standing on the shoulders of an older woman who was steadying my ankles and smiling up at me.
I said to her, "no no come stand on my shoulders, For you are old and I am Young."
"No no" she insisted, "this is the way it is supposed to be."
I saw that she stood on the shoulders of a woman far older than she, who stood on the shoulders of an even older woman, who stood on the shoulders of a woman in robes, who stood on the shoulders of another soul, who stood on the shoulders"

-Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run With the Wolves