Training Space for 600 Poor Girls in Mumbai

Hello friends,

This is to share with you about some of the activities we have organized in a couple of communities with donor support. We need a small place of our own for a small central place but in the mean time empowering work is going on, though not as well as it could be if we had a place of our own somewhere.

In one community 20 girls in age group 12-18 surveyed 100 of their peers on what they perceive as sexual violence, whether they have personally experience it,  the time and place where it had occurred, at what time and what action was taken, if any. While their full report and analysis is awaited, one shocking figure is that 96 per cent have said they have been subjected to it in streets – the narrow crisscross lanes -in evenings. They said it was in form of lewd comments, vulgar gestures, touching and stalking.  The impact was that girls had to walk longer to avoid certain street corners to go to school or market place and to request a family member to accompany them.  4 girls stated they dropped out of school because of the threat they felt.

This activity is part of the action planned for tackling the issue. Girls learn to speak out and document their feelings and experience. They will also be documenting through camera. Their documentation will be used in campaigns against sexual harassment in the community. Girls are beginning to feel somewhat empowered already as they are involved in discussing the issue and in planning and documentation at all levels.

We request all of you browsing through GlobalGiving sites to also visit our Vacha’s website for more reports and to support our project of acquiring a small training space for which 90 per cent of the budget needs are already met. Your contribution will help us reach our goal.

Thanks and regards,