Stop Violence Against Women in South Asia

Women and girls in South Asia face widespread violence and discrimination that is often socially accepted. To create lasting change, we need to challenge the deep-rooted attitudes and structures that perpetuate this abuse. Our project works in South Asia to support survivors of sexual violence. A key strategy is to engage men and families in the issue. Through anti-violence training, young men learn to respect and partner with women and girls. The impact of this work is evident:

Vinod is a 17-year-old who regularly attends the Maitri anti-violence training in Mangalam, Pondicherry district. After attending his first sessions, he started to notice how women are treated unfairly in both his family situation and the wider society. Vinod couldn’t stop noticing the daily discrimination that he had taken for granted.

Vinod says, "The anti-violence training was a life-changing experience for me that transformed many things. The training provides a safe space for honest discussions about masculinity, gender norms and how they affect our lives. I liked how the facilitators encouraged us to question the traditional stereotypes and expectations of men. I realised that masculinity is not a fixed concept and that there are many ways to be a man. And I think it’s important to see every woman as a human being and not as an object or to judge her only by her looks. It’s important to appreciate their unique qualities, talents and perspectives beyond superficial aspects."

Thanks to your support we are holistically approaching the issue of gender violence and discrimination towards women by addressing engrained attitudes towards women held by men. In just one session Vinod’s views were transformed.

Links:

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