Women Empowernment

Working for gender equity and women’s rights has been one of Asahai Bal Sewa Ashram Samiti major commitments. This option holistically addresses the issue of violence against women. It was realised that a fresh intervention strategy within the Criminal Justice System was needed to be addressed collectively. Violence against women both in the public and the domestic sphere is on the increase and most women get very little or no redressal to their problems on reaching a police station. It was felt that in the absence of any specialised training of the police or civil society institutions to handle the psychological and social needs of the victims, the women seeking assistance were further victimised. Cases of violence against women (VAW) not only need multiple interventions but a shift in approach, to give the women the right to make an informed choice when subjected to violence.

A land having the distinction of boasting the world's largest number of professionally qualified women is yet to ensure a life with dignity for the majority of its womenfolk!

India’s male to female ratio is an alarming 1000:933. Women form half of the country’s population, yet only about half of them are literate. Close to 1.5 lakh women become victims of various crimes annually, as per reported cases. Further, an estimated 5 crore women face mental and physical cruelty. Although, the legal marriageable age for a girl in India is 18 years, our girl child doesn’t have a say when she is going to be a woman!

Ironically enough, India has the distinction of having the world's largest number of professionally qualified women! India prides in having more women as doctors, surgeons, scientists and professors than the United States has. India is also proud of the Kalpana Chawalas, Indra Nooyis, P T Ushas, Sania Mirzas, Aishwarya Rais, Kiran Majumdar Shaws, Kiran Bedis, to name a few.

Then again, woman faces discrimination at her home, starting from womb to tomb. She ventures out to the street and she’s not sure what harassment would greet her at the corner. If she bears a daughter, she doesn’t know why rest of her life won’t be the same again! The saga continues; generation after generation; leaving little chance for Indian society to take a giant leap.

As a matter of fact gender-based discrimination and societal behavior leading to physical and psychological harassments, emotional violence bordering on cruelty is never scant in woman’s basket of woes. Social evils begin at the womb with female feticides, infanticides, sexual harassments, rape and dowry related tortures putting an end to her misery only at the tomb!