Gender Equality India Project #19520

Reduce Gender Based Violence in Urban Communities

by Maitri India

Reduce Gender Based Violence in Urban Communities

Project Report | Oct 26, 2016
Inching towards the goal of violence free homes

By Tara Rana | Communications & Fundraising Officer

Community women at the awareness rally

Dear Maitri Friend,

We are gaining momentum with our efforts to bring community women together with the purpose to empower them economically and socially.

Women's Group: In the last quarter, the women’s group (Mahila Panchayat) had 11 meetings. We have 25 women in the group. Each meeting is designed to create a safe platform for women to discuss about issues that concern them. The agenda for each meeting and the topics for discussion are aimed at shaping their attitude. Also, to inform them about their rights and the steps they can take to stand up for themselves.

Self Help Group: The Self Help Group consisting of 16 women received a two-day training. Our goal is to equip the group to save a small amount every month. And the savings will be available to members in case of any emergency. It will help them access small loan in times of need. The training helped the women understand the group dynamics and strengthen their bonding. The SHG members understood that the key to their success is mutual cooperation. At the end, three women were appointed leaders of the group. They will also be responsible for maintaining the savings book.

Support to Women facing Domestic Violence: In the last quarter we provided support and legal guidance to 35 women facing Domestic Violence. Most of them were young women facing violence at the hands of their husbands. Maitri helped them regain their confidence and take necessary steps to fight for their rights.

DV Awareness Campaign: October is observed as a Domestic Violence Awareness month worldwide. At Maitri, we conducted a series of activity to create awareness about domestic violence in our community. Our objective was to bring together the women and men of the community to take a unified stand and break the silence against Domestic Violence.

On 14^th October’2016 we organized a Rally against Domestic Violence in and around the 4 communities we work in. 60 people including women, youth and children from the community joined in. The challenge we faced during the rally was the hesitations of women to come out to join the rally because their husbands didn’t approve. Those who did join in the rally took a bold and inspiring step towards a change.

On 16^th October 2016 our community youth group did a street play on domestic violence in the community. The play was based on breaking the silence against domestic violence and giving equal opportunity to girls in the family. After the an elderly man shared that he understands the message but also knows only few people are willing to understand the message rest will simply ignore the message because they wish to maintain their superiority. Such meaningful conversation with the community only motivates us to spread the message of gender equality.

On 21^st October 2016 we invited our community to watch a movie Dor that has a powerful message about women’s empowerment. 15 women and 10 youth and few kids watched the movie. The women connected on all aspects with the characters of the movie. In the end, we had a small discussion with the women about how life changes for widow women and how strong women can be to break the societal barriers if they trust each other and work as a team.

We have also been running the online campaing Count On Me and mobilising individuals to write their pledge to end DV and take a picture holding the paper and sharing it online. We will update you more on this when we conclude the campaign.

Power of community support

Pooja suffered abuse and violence at the hands of her husband and his family. Her fault: giving birth to a girl child. Her husband wanted a son. Fearing for the life of the girl child, Pooja’s parents came and took the child with them. Three years later she gave birth to a boy. She hoped this would appease her husband. However, her husband now had a new reason to abuse her. He started demanding for dowry. Five years into marriage, Pooja was completely controlled by her husband. At his whims and fancy, he would drop Pooja and children at her parents and would not take them home for months. While Pooja lived with her parents she came in contact with Maitri’s community project and joined the women’s group (Mahila Panchayat). This helped her come out of the isolation and interact with other women. She then opened up about her situation. When her husband came to pick her up again, Maitri stood with Pooja and got written consent from him and his family declaring that they will be responsible if any harm is caused to her. However, after some months of returning to with her husband he again turned violent and Pooja fled to her parent’s house. Maitri helped her approach the Delhi Commission for Women. Pooja and her husband were counseled and her husband was given clear warning about violence and reminded of his responsibility as a husband and a father. This was a turning point for Pooja. Recently, Maitri did another follow up call with Pooja and found that she is doing well. Her husband has stopped being violent. He has even got a job and is able to take care of his family. All this was possible because Pooja was empowered and supported to say no to violence.

Women taking steps towards a change

Community youth performing a street play around DV

The street play helped us start a conversation

Women's Group during a meeting

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Jul 28, 2016
A clean drive by community youth

By Tara Rana | Communications & Fundraising Officer

Dear Maitri Friend,

We are so proud to share with you some of the ways our community youth group has become a catalyst for change. For a long time, we have been working hard to bring them together, to give them a sense of belonging - to make them aware of their collective strength. At first, they were speculative of our initiative but have each gradually opened up to the idea of joining hands, learning together, and taking steps to care for their community.

It gives us a great joy to see this group mature and begin to take action. In one of the meetings, the group raised concerns about the nearby park. It had become a dumpster, breeding mosquitos and producing a foul smell. It made impossible for the children to play there. And it was definitely a threat to public health.

On the 24th of July, the youth group came together with brooms, shallow pans, and spades to clean it. Even the little ones came to help. This encouraged a few men from the community to lend their helping hand.

At the end, the youth group was able to achieve what they aimed for – a clean park – despite the challenges that arose. The welder who came to install the gate couldn’t find an outlet! Thankfully, a woman from the community offered to let him use her connection and he was able to successfully install, securing the park. Some people from the community raised objections to the gate, but the youth group was able to convince them that it’s in everyone’s best interest.

Moving forward, Maitri will supply the youth group with tall tree saplings to plant in the edges of the park. The youth group will continue to keep the park clean. It was a great experience for the group to work as a team. Seeing their enthusiasm, people from the community came forward to help and motivate them, and two new boys joined the youth group as members.

We hope the group continues to become agents of change!

After cleaning

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May 19, 2016
Making women and young girls stronger in every way

By Tara Rana | Communications & Fundraising Officer

Equipped & empowered with new skills of sewing

Dear Maitri Friend,

Maitri is committed to reducing Gender-based violence in communities we work with and we couldn't have done what we could achieve in the last quarter without your constant support.

Providing counselling and guidance to women facing Domestic Violence

In April, we had a unique partnership with a television show on Zindagi channel. The show’s central female character deals with the issue of domestic violence. As a NGO partner of the show, Maitri provided support with information and advice, including counsellingfor victims who contacted us.

There was anoverwhelming response. More than 100 women calledMaitri every day, seeking supportfrom across India within a span of a month. We received hundreds of sms’s, whatsapp messages, emails reaching out for comfort, support and advice on how to cope with the varying issueseach one was facing. Issues ranged from dowry, second/third marriage by the husbands, husbands involved in extra marital affairs, abuse by mother-in-law, accusations on woman’s character etc. We have tried to speak to each one of them and give them clarity on what constitutes domestic violence and what their rights are. We also made them understand their options within the legal framework that exists.

It was an interesting finding that women from all sections of society contacted us. It is our endeavourto satisfy each woman with whatever doubts she has, and help her regain confidence. And we feel motivated to continue to help when some women get emotional and say “Thank you for listening to me. I feel so relieved talking to you. I will call back if I have a question”.

Two-day workshop to introduce functions and features of Mahila Panchayat (A community based women’s group)

In May 2016, Maitri collaborated with an organisation that works towards women’s empowerment and their rights, to organise a two-day training workshop. 35 women from two of our target communities attended the workshop.

Mahila Panchayat is a group of women from the community who are trained in legal issues, dispute redressal mechanism, laws relevant to crimes against women and are given exposure about the existing legal position regarding property, maintenance, marriage, custody, etc. The Mahila Panchayat acts as a “Watch Dog” and its members, after orientation, and training, can handle delicate and family disputes.

After two-day workshop and several exercises and discussions, the community women realised the potential of their collective strength. For us, the training is a step in right direction towards bringing these women together to form and strengthen the Mahila Panchayat in the community we work with.

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2016

Maitri celebrated International Women’s Day in a unique and creative way. Maitri partnered with an International Artist, OLEK, from New York to do a public art performance in the Central Park of Connaught Place, Delhi. The performance used crochet as medium to demonstrate the never-ending process within women to recreate themselves. Both OLEK and Maitri’s mission is to create awareness and bring about change, and educate the women on the rights of women in India. The event was appreciated and published by Times of India, the national newspaper. It was one of a kind experience for community women that made them feel confident and empowered.

The first batch of the Sewing Course graduate

We are very proud of 12 women who completed Sewing Course and were duly facilitated on 30^th March 2016. The course had commenced in June 2015 in partnership with Singer, a sewing machine brand. They have now acquired the basic skills and confidence they need to either venture into a home-based small business or find employment with boutiques and tailor shops.

All in all, the past couple of months have been full of excitement and satisfaction. You are a very important link to bringing change in the lives of vulnerable women and young girls we work with. We are very grateful for your support and are positive that with your continued support, we can reduce the incidents of gender-based violence and domestic violence in particular.

Thank you!

Graduation ceremony of the Sewing Course

Public Art Performance with OLEK on IWD 2016

Women attending the workshop on Mahila Panchayat

Community youth in action on gender sensitisation

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