Promoting and Defending Human Rights in India

Every year thousands of young girls and women from poor families are trafficked in Red light Areas and Brothels in India. Estimated between 2 –3 million women are forced into commercial sexual exploitation. They are subject to most gruesome of physical, mental and sexual violence. The organised crime not only goes unabated but also is expanding in magnitude and dimension. Who is responsible# Do these victims have Rights#

Their Fault-
They are poor.
Law and communities failed to protect them.
They are voice less.
Governments have no policy for them.
They need food to survive.

Thousands of girl child are illegally killed in mothers womb every day. Thousands of girls as young as 9 get married in India every year. Millions of girls do not have opportunity to go to school just because they are of female gender. Uncountable number of women and girls face unwanted pregnancies, suffer from anemia, are discriminated in food and work even in their home, are killed for sake of honour, are subjected to systematic voilence based on caste and revenge.

Their Fault-
They are women

It took merely 9 months for Man Singh from Uttar Pradesh to die after he was tested positive. His less than two years old daughter is about to die any day. His wife may be lucky to live for few more months. Once he started falling sick and getting opportunistic infections, he lost his earnings, his money was drained in the hands of quack practitioners. He had to sell his land and home. Doctors and nurses in government hospitals refused to touch and treat him. Once known in the community the family was ostracized. Shakti Vahini intervention did help reduce the stigma in community and Man Singh live for 9 month, but couldn’t save him. There are several Man Singh and his families.

Their fault-
They are poor.
Earlier they have not even heard of HIV/AIDS.
Question of healthy and nutritious food is a matter of unaffordable luxury for them.
They have no access to quality health facilities and could not afford the costly private treatment.

Rema 13, was continuously subjected to sexual advances of her father and faced his wrath, anger and violence for opposing his lustrous desires. Her mother too faced physical violence in attempt to protect her. Her father regularly tortured her mother for not giving birth to male child and wanted to bring home another women as a wife with whom he had an affair. Opposition to it lead not only to increased torture and violence for mother and daughter but also her fathers demand to have a son from Rema. Though Rema was saved from actual rape, by timely intervention from Shakti Vahini, she was totally devastated psychologically and it took more than a year to help her regain faith and self confidence. There are innumerable Rema’s facing same situation in their families and communities and losing their battles.

Their fault-
They are women.

More than 9000 children in tribal districts of Maharastra die out of malnutrition in year 2003. Another more than 1000 die in between April to May 2004. In July 2004 in average more than 30 children die every week at Safdarjang hospital at Delhi. In West Bengal Children die out of hunger in Midnapur. Mother sells her daughter for Rs 10 in Orrissa. More than 3000 farmer resort to suicide in three years in Kerala. Similarly thousands of farmers suicide in Andhra, Karnataka, Maharastra, West Bengal.

Their fault-
They were poor.
They have no access to information, health facilities and social security.
Bank Loans avialable – Interest @ life.

SHAKTI VAHINI PROMOTES AND DEFENDS THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE THROUGH

1. CAMPAIGNS to promote awareness and sensitization among

• Communities
• Govt. officials/Administration
• Judiciary and Advocates
• Youths/Students
• Peoples Representatives

2. PUBLIC ACTION & EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONSto secure and defend the Rights of individuals and communities through

• Protests
• Activism
• Mass mobilization
• Media Reporting and events
• Legal Aid & Action
• Effective Interventions through administrative instruments
• Financial, infrastructure and moral- Support & Assistance

3. CAPACITY BUIDING through

• Training and workshops
• Leadership Creation

4. ADVOCACY

• Alliance building & network formation
• Creation of Youth Volunteers & promotion of Voluntary Action
• Media advocacy
• Lobbying for Policy Decisions
• Influencing for law formation and amendments

5. RESEARCH & DOCUMENTATION

• Studies, Research, Analysis and Reports of the situation and facts
• Guidance, support and assistance for research and documentation