Together for a more just and caring society

In India, a deeply patriarchal society, women are subjected to constant discrimination and in many cases, harassment. They are legally entitled to equal rights in all spheres of society, yet most women are at great disadvantage.

Violence against women is recognized as a violation of human rights. However, despite the initiatives that have been put in place to put an end to this scourge, in India 29% of married women in rural areas between 15 and 49 years old admit to having experienced situations of gender-based violence due to part of their husbands, according to the latest Family Health survey conducted by the Government of India. This figure is much higher in reality, but violence against women remains normalized and very few dare to admit that they suffer it.

The Rural Development Trust (RDT) works with men and women to achieve gender equality by fighting against gender-based violence and discrimination and striving to improve the social and economic situation of women. By enabling women to reach their full potential and equipping them to be a part of the decision-making processes, we can attain sustainable development.

Girls and women are constantly under the threat of harassment and violence from their families and in the society at large. Tackling such situations is only possible through the combined efforts of both men and women. The project focuses on these areas:

• Awareness workshops with adolescents to discuss various issues they face and to instill gender sensitivity.
• Gender sensitisation workshops with men to push for attitudinal shift and make them partners in the fight for equality.
• Discussing about gender violence in the village meetings and through cultural activities on women’s rights, on how to avail legal aid and medical assistance, where to report a crime, or on the functioning of family court

TESTIMONY

Lakshmi Narasamma: The leader of a sangham - women's association –

The objective of these associations is to promote the empowerment and autonomy of women, who realize that by themselves they can do many things. However, one of our main tasks is to raise awareness about gender violence to avoid this type of situation. The sanghams are only for women but the Women's Sector of the FVF also organizes activities for men, whether they are talks or training.

Before the FVF started organizing meetings to sensitize men and women about the problem of gender violence, many people saw it as normal. There is still a long way to go but we are seeing positive changes through community participation in these workshops.

If we compare the situation with that of a few years ago, it has undoubtedly improved. Gender violence has decreased in our town. I have been in the sangham for the past 20 years and I can assure you that without this support network, solving many of my problems or those of the other women would have been almost impossible. We need to create a network to become aware of the violence that surrounds us.

Links:

• Stop violence against women