Rise Up Leaders in India
In February 2019, Rise Up hosted a successful Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator workshop for 23 visionary leaders in Maharashtra, India as part of our Gender Equity Initiative, launched in partnership with Cummins Powers Women and with support from Echidna Giving.
These new Rise Up Leaders applied their new knowledge from the Accelerator to develop their own strategies to improve the lives of girls and women in India. After a competitive proposal process, we are excited to announce the selection of our grantees!
They are tackling some of the toughest issues facing girls and women in India, including gender-based violence, women’s limited property rights, human rights violations based on caste and gender, sexual harassment, lack of sanitation services and menstrual hygiene facilities at schools for girls, lack of safe transportation to school for girls, and women’s health and safety in the workplace. Rise Up is proud to fund the following 12 advocacy projects:
Amhi Amchya Arogyasathi: Reducing girls’ school dropout rates through the funding and installation of feminine hygiene facilities to meet their basic needs in 28 schools across the Nagpur District.
Jagrut Mahila Samaj: Improving the safety of girls in schools through the development and adoption of a safety protocol to ensure students have access to health care, quality education, adequate sanitation, nutrition, and recreation facilities.
Kalapandhari Magasvargiya and Adivasi Gramin Vikas Sanstha: Reducing school dropout rates among students, especially girls in the drought-prone Latur district, by providing safe transportation.
The Committee of Resource Organizations (CORO) For Literacy: Improving women’s property rights through the implementation of marriage registration laws so that women in the Konkan region are legally entitled to their land.
The Naz Foundation (India) Trust: Improving the health and well-being of girls from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in India by enabling them to participate in physical education at school, as required under existing laws but not currently implemented in most schools.
Nirmala Institute: Reducing gender-based violence and protecting and promoting the rights of women and girls through proper implementation of the Domestic Violence Act with adequate funding, personnel, and training.
Red Dot Foundation: Protecting children, especially girls, from sexual abuse in schools by advocating for the effective implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act in 20 schools in the Satara district.
Sadhana Institute for Sustainable Development: Improving workplace safety and health for women by establishing a system to address issues of sexual harassment in the workplace and demanding compliance with the Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal of Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act.
Saheli HIV/AIDS Karyakarta Sangh: Improving the rights of sex workers and protecting them from police harassment by advocating to exclude sex workers from the Bombay Police Act provisions that currently enable harassment against them.
Swadhikar – National Dalit Movement for Justice: Seeking protection and justice for all Dalit and Adivasi women and girls in Maharashtra State by improving the criminal justice system to effectively address human rights violations based on caste and gender.
Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA): Creating safer environments in communities for women and girls by improving the functioning of existing Child Protection Committees to effectively protect 15,000 children, girls, and women from violence.
Work for Equality: Reducing school dropout rates among girls by improving sanitation in schools to ensure girls have their basic needs met and feel comfortable attending school.
We look forward to providing leaders with technical assistance and support throughout the implementation of these new projects and enabling them and their organizations to create large-scale change to advance gender equity in Maharashtra and across India.
