The
Problem
Sex inequality is a fundamental challenge to development in South Asia, home to 860 million women, i.e., 22.6% of the global female population. Gender-based violence against women and girls across South Asia is multi-dimensional, and deeply rooted in inequitable socioeconomic structures, prevalent social norms and patriarchal attitudes. Despite having constitutional provisions and progressive legislation, women and children form the largest group of victims facing violence and discrimination.
An estimated one in every two women in the region experience violence in their day-to-day lives and an estimated two-thirds of the world’s children who experienced severe violence are in South Asia. The violence faced and the lack of support systems is more acute for women and children from historically excluded communities.
Our
Solution
Prevention
The organisations we work with employ strategies to work towards enhancing the skills and knowledge of women and girls that enable them to reject any forms of violence and discrimination.Besides, they focus on raising awareness about bodily autonomy, constitutional rights, rights against gender-based violence, and building leadership. This is done through various individual and community-level interventions.
Response
We support organizations that work towards filling the gaps in the laws by strengthening the systems and providing adequate legal, medical, psychological, emergency, and social assistance to survivors. The organizations provide pro bono legal services to survivors and assist with lodging complaints, opposing bails, availing compensation, and representing them before courts and commissions.
Rehabilitation
We support organizations that use a multi-dimensional approach to ensure survivors and their families can recover and reintegrate into society. This includes supporting them with their education and enrolling them in vocational and skill-building courses. The organizations provide psychological therapy from professional counselors to help survivors build resilience against trauma and stress from the violence suffered.
System Reform
We work with organizations that build strategic collaborations and partnerships with multiple stakeholders to ensure policy-level reforms. These collaborations include engaging with state officials such as police, members of One Stop Centers, child welfare committees, juvenile justice boards, shelter homes, lawyers, and judges to ensure their accountability and responsiveness while dealing with survivors of sexual violence.
To address the large-scale prevalence of gender-based violence and the barriers faced by survivors to access justice across South Asia, People’s Courage International is working with organizations that collaborate with governments, civil society organizations, philanthropies, and other stakeholders towards building better response mechanisms at the regional level. People’s Courage International envisions 100 sexual violence-free districts across South Asia.
