Stop Violence Against Women in South Asia

Jyoti Devi from Deogarh, Jharkhand is a Maitri Network fellow . Once branded as a witch , she was thrown out of her house with her young children . After a long struggle, today she fights for women’s rights in her village. Maitri Network presently supports 3 fellows in the state of Jharkhand.These fellows are trained in providing counselling and legal advice.

Through its partner Gramin Vikas Kendra, groups of men and women have been formed in the three districts of Deogarh, Chatra and Bokaro. These groups meet regularly to train and educate women on issues of gender based violence and provide relief to those women who are victims of violence.

Recently, gender training sessions were held with the women groups, through activities - concepts of gender , patriarchy and domestic violence were discussed. The women in these groups became aware of different forms of violence and its effects on women’s health and well being.

Women in these groups have now decided to meet frequently and discuss more on issues like child marriage, dowry harassment, sexual violence against children and others. They have also been successful in encouraging men in their villages to form such a group. The first session with men was also organised where general discussions were undertaken and men were encouraged to raise their voices against violence.

In the coming months these groups together plan to campaign on the issue of child marriage in their villages. For this they are planning various activities and women are getting together making posters, writing poems and inviting members of village panchayats for these meetings.