Services for Women Survivors of Violence in Aizwal

Update

Despite the delay in formalisation of this new project Lalthanzami has continued to work at the Safe Home that she runs.  A total of 15 women were provided shelter at the Safe Home over the past 3 months. She also carried out a series of outreach activities in 20 households in the neighbourhood to raise awareness and knowledge around the issue of Violence against women . This has helped her team to assess the situation of the women living in those communities and their repeated interactions have revealed that domestic violence is commonplace in most homes, even if fear of causing major family disputes prevents the women from raising their voices.

In two instances, where the women spoke of their ordeal and shared that their husbands had forcibly divorced them and were now refusing to provide for the maintenance that they were entitled to, Lalthanzami’s Safe Home team helped them to file cases in the courts and successful claim maintenance costs of Rs. 3500/- per month.

Lalthanzami 's team also dealt with  health problems faced by one of the women residing in her Safe Home by taking her to the local Government run hospital for her treatment. After three weeks of regular medical treatment this woman is now healed and well again. She has since moved out of the Safe Home and has rented a place of her own in the locality.

One survivor of domestic violence, after finding a job, moved out of the safe home along with her four children and started living independently.

Clearly this Safe Home has become  a catalyst for change, empowering the victims to become psychologically stable and self-reliant.

Meanwhile she continues to battle various odds.

• Inadequate funding has becomes a major impediment in the smooth functioning of the Safe Home.
• The limited space at the Safe Home poses a problem when mothers move in with their children and all the inmates have to huddle up in one single room.  
• Shifting to another bigger space is not an option due to inadquate funds. Shutting down is also not an option as the Safe Home continues to place a crucial role in the lives of women across Mizoram.

Mahlui's story

Lalthanzami helped Mahlui (43 years) and her daughter Rinpuii (18 years) who were somehow making two ends meet after her husband deserted her in 2011. They were keeping a low profile as they were ridiculed by the local community and increasingly harrassed by the young boys and men of their neighbourhood. When Rinpuii was molested by a man, Mahlui sought help from a local council member who brought them to Lalthanzami’s Safe House. She helped them file a case against the man who molested Rinpuii and the police arrested him after an investigation.

Sungte's escape

In another case, Sungte (34 years) was suffering at the hands of her abusive husband as she was an orphan and had nowhere to go. One night when her husband beat and almost strangled her, she decided to seek help for herself and her two children, and approached the Women’s League of Chinland, who rescued her and sent her to the Safe Home with her children.

Lalthanzami has the following activities planned for the next quarter

• Counselling sessions for the women at the Safe Home to build their self confidence
• Vocational training and livelihood skill training to the women
• Building linkages to help the women showcase and improve the market value and sell their products

Meanwhile the FST team's proposed visit to Aizawl to assess her situation and chart a course of action to take her project forward is being rescheduled to the next quarter and a revised plan will be worked out to enable her to effectively avail of the funds raised so far.