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The program on Prevention of Violence against Women and Children (PVWC) aims to provide holistic services to women and children facing violence, (crisis intervention, community organization and work with systems) especially those who are marginalized due to their sexual orientation, their disability and their occupation.
Objectives
To build better services in terms of coordination with legal, law enforcement and health systems, build the capacity of the community to respond to violence, increase networks and identify advocacy issues for the program.
An integrated approach of intervention, prevention and advocacy is used to ensure reporting and redressal of violence, along with a coordinated response from the community, public systems (legal, law enforcement, health) and other organizations working on related issues.
At the grassroot level, PVWC builds the capacity of the community to advocate, while simultaneously directing its own advocacy efforts at the systemic level, by lobbying for the proper implementation of their roles and duties. The program carries out most of its intervention work in Dharavi, Ghatkopar, Santacruz and Parel.
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ACHIEVEMENTS/MILESTONES
- A national level consultation on 'Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender(LBT): Counselling and intervention strategies' was organized to strengthen SNEHA's counselling capacities in dealing with matters of sexuality and sexual orientation. This served as an important step in SNEHA's efforts to improve the counselling and crisis intervention services for marginalized women and led to our inclusion in LBT and Disability Network in Mumbai
- Awarded 'Service Provider' status under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005 by the Dept. of Women and Child Development, Maharashtra
- Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) invited PVWC to run a crisis intervention centre from the Savitribai Phule Gender Resource Centre , Elphinstone Road, Mumbai
- Successful completion of CREA research, which resulted in expansion of PVWC networks with organizations working on issues of women with disabilities, alternate sexual orientation and choice of occupation
- Invited to become a panel member on the District Legal Services Authority, Bandra
- Research Study presented on ‘Understanding violence on marginalized women’ presented at the 'Count me in' South Asia' Conference for women organized by CREA, at Kathmandu, Nepal
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FUTURE PLANS/NEXT STEPS
- To initiate To initiate supportive counselling services for survivors of violence at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion
- To initiate To initiate counselling services for victims of rape, sexual assault and child sexual abuse at the Savitribai Phule Gender Resource Centre
- To consolidaTo consolidate work with men on the issue of Violence Against Women (VAW)
- To work towards building a national level network on VAWC
- To independently file cases under the PWDVA for expeditious legal intervention
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CASE STUDY
When walkingWhen walking down the street one day, Sunita, a SNEHA Sangini, noticed a woman from her neighbourhood carrying a child who appeared to have recently-incurred wounds on his legs. Since Sunita had never seen the child before, she grew suspicious. Her suspicions were confirmed after talking to the neighbours who said that the woman had suddenly shown up with the child, but she had rarely let him leave the house, confining him upstairs.
Sunita reporSunita reported the story to SNEHA, and together with a counsellor, she visited the hospital to talk to the child, but he was not in any condition to talk. The woman accompanying the child also was not providing proper information. SNEHA approached the hospital staff who informed them that a medico-legal case had been filed due to the marks and wounds on the child's entire body.
A few meetings later, Abdullah, asked to speak to Sunita and the counsellor privately and he told them that the woman had picked up him up from the Mahim dargah where he used to beg. At the time, the child was under the care of his late mother's friend (who had promised Abdullah's mother that they would look after him upon her death) and her husband, Asif, and said that he wanted to return to them. The child also revealed that the woman who had picked him up used to beat him with a rolling pin and not let him leave the house for fear that he would reveal to people that he had been kidnapped. The police verified all the facts and SNEHA then filed an FIR against the woman and her husband at the Shahu Nagar police station. When the police summoned the accused to the station, they did not show up, so a warrant was issued for their arrest. When the police went to their house, they found that it was locked up and the accused had run away.
The case was then referred to the Child Welfare Committee and the child was placed in a shelter home, Asha Sadan. Abdullah is currently in the process of being adopted. When the SNEHA counsellor paid him a visit a few months ago, she found the child happy and in good health, well taken care of and studying hard.
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IMPACT
- 85,574 peopl85,574 people reached through community work, major and mini events and campaigns during festivals
- 250 men were250 men were actively involved with our action groups and intervened on the issues of water, sanitation, electricity, rationing in the community
- A group of 60 youth volunteers performed 35 theatre shows in different parts of the Mumbai city
- 352 cases handled, arising from violence occurring due to issues ranging from role recognition to infidelity.
- The PWDVA actioned in 4 cases for Protection Orders
- 84 cases received legal counselling
- 14 cases referred for the free legal aid
- 17 cases filed in court for maintenance
- Police intervention facilitated in 35 cases of VAWC
- Negotiated for child custody in 2 cases
- Arranged boarding for another 2 children
- 55 SNEHA Sanginis (Women Volunteers) have taken local level intervention in cases of VAWC
- Increased outreach in the new areas. 15 cases registered at the Gender Resource Centre, 10 cases in Ghatkopar and 20 cases in Shastrinagar
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