Stop Violence Against Women in South Asia

Content Warning: Includes themes of sexual violence 

Pragyawati lives in Doha, Uttar Pradesh, with her two children. Her husband's work as a migrant labourer provides the family’s only income, but takes him away from the family for months at a time.With male violence posing a huge threat to women in India, Pragyawati has always been concerned about the risks of staying on her own in the house with her children.  

While her husband was travelling for work, three men climbed through her open bathroom roof and raped her. After they had left, she went into a deep state of shock, however, she managed to get word to her husband. As he was so far away, he sent his brother take Pragyawati to the police station and report the crime. Due to the men having their faces covered she could only identify one of them, which meant the police couldn’t act on the rest of the perpetrators.  

As news spread of the assault, Pragyawati became isolated from her community. The stigma towards female survivors of sexual violence is high. This impacted her mental well-being greatly and she began to feel hopeless. 

A support worker from our project, the Maitri Network, heard about Pragyawati via the newspaper and approached her and her husband to offer support. They received therapy to work through the trauma of what had taken place and legal help to begin court proceedings. 

With two of the men still free, fear of reprisals have stalled the case. The Maitri Network are still working alongside Pragyawati to seek justice. Though this is a complex case, the support workers are determined to continue their support of Pragyawati. We will keep you updated.  

Thanks to your support, women who are victims of violence get the therapy they need to heal and seek the justice they deserve. 

Links:

• Visit our website to find out more!

Content Warning: Addresses issues of sexual assault 

Nandini, being the only girl in her large family, became a sex worker to provide for them. This is common in the area they live in -Mandsaur district, Madhya Pradesh - as the community lives in extreme poverty. Every day she would meet new clients, but one kept coming back to her and promising her a better life.  

Desperate, she made plans to run away with him from home. He had said she could get an education and they would be married. Nandini trusted him and,without telling her family, they fled.  

As soon as she was away from home, the abuse began. He sexually and emotionally assaulted her and the idea of their marriage was completely dismissed, leaving her distraught and betrayed. Meanwhile, her parents contacted the local police and filed her as a missing person, a month after she had run away.  

Nandini decided she had to find a way to return to her family. She knew being alone would make her vulnerable but she was desperate to escape. Despite getting free, on her journey back she was victim to many horrific attacks and subsequently ended up in a mental institution in Mumbai. Her family were notified and were relieved to know she was alive.  

Our project, The Maitri Network, supports women survivors of sexual violence. They approached Nandini and her family and offered to provide professional mental health treatment and legal counsel. At first, Nandini didn’t feel strong enough to take legal action, but she was benefiting greatly from the therapy, which helped her to heal the trauma of the events that had taken place.  

Now, there has been a drastic change in her mental health and self-confidence. She is reported to be fearless and will soon appear in court against severa lof her perpetrators.  

Thanks to you, survivors can heal their trauma and be supported to take legal action to see justice. 

Links:

• Link to our website to find out more and see our projects!