Fellow: Natty Lopes

Grant Year: 2019

Location: Palghar District, Maharashtra, India

Organization: Nirmala Institute

Project title: Advocating for Eliminating Gender-Based Violence in Vasai Taluka of Palghar District

Project summary: Nirmala Institute is working to end violence against women by developing implementation mechanisms for the Domestic Violence Act (2005) along with the financial resources to support it. They will train personnel at the Department of Women and Child Development, such as the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) personnel, protection officers, their assistants (front-line workers responsible for the implementation of the law), and police in the Palghar district on how to support women survivors of violence. They will work to change attitudes in communities about the realities of violence against women and strengthen the government systems to ensure the rights of all women. Nirmala Institute will advocate with the Principal Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, to allocate adequate financial resources and develop implementation mechanisms like building the capacity of ICDS personnel, protection officers, and police personnel on gender-based violence so they can properly implement the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. The first year of funded implementation of this Act will directly benefit 1,000 women and indirectly benefit another 2,000 women in Vasai taluka. By protecting and promoting the rights of women and girls, proper implementation of the law will help eliminate gender-based violence and enable women and girls to demand justice.