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Women empowerment against all odds
Bhagyashree Tarke Almost 11 years and counting; over 900 cases of gross violations against women, mostly domestic violence. That’s the...
Bhagyashree Tarke
Almost 11 years and counting; over 900 cases of gross violations against women, mostly domestic violence. That’s the track record of Shaheen Women’s Resource and Welfare Association (SWRWA). Conceptualised in 2002, the NGO has been a panacea for many hapless souls in Old City. Today this organisation is popular owing to their hectic activity in the select 20 slum communities of Old City area.
Adopting a combination of redressal techniques, which occasionally included ‘sting operations’ the gutsy founder director, Jameela Nishat, has kept up a scorching pace. As she opines, “Minority women in Old City experience triple discrimination in the form of patriarchal control and attitudes, marginalisation of minorities and political helplessness. Certain class of women are also constantly at risk when communal conflicts flare up and there is a state of utter disharmony and tension. In such a scenario, with poverty and destitution in major portions of the Old City, prospective “grooms” from Gulf countries make a beeline, targeting innocent and deprived families, promising wealth and emancipation from troubles. The poor families are left with no option, other than falling prey to such gullible statements.”
The financial year 2012-13 has been extremely encouraging for the volunteers and staff of Shaheen. Community mobilisation, being its strength and strategy, has been instrumental in gaining momentum in their work. Through their community awareness and sensitisation programmes in the bastis with both men and women, participation has been further enriched. Women in distress are coming out of their cocoons and expressing their issues and concerns without having any apprehensions. This has resulted in expansion of other related activities in the operational areas.
It takes some guts to work in such a sensitive area where the communal atmosphere can get surcharged even with an innocuous comment or act. Jameela seems well-prepared as she recounts cases of fundamental elements trying to pull her down by both Hindus and Muslims.
