EquiDiversity Foundation

In India, 30% of women aged between 18 and 49 have experienced physical violence since the age of 15, and 6% have
experienced sexual violence. Moreover, 3% of women who have been pregnant aged between 18 and 49 have
experienced physical violence during pregnancy. These numbers are likely to be much higher, as many women are not
able to report violence or are not taken seriously if they do. All types of violence against women and girls are widespread
across India, including physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse. However, women in rural areas, especially West
Bengal, are more likely than those in urban areas to experience domestic violence. This hinders educational attainment
and earnings potential and has significant economic and social costs. COVID-19 has exposed the fault lines of gender
equality, resulting in increased incidences of domestic violence and forced early marriage.

The project “Women’s Voice and Rights: Strengthening Women’s Leadership and Political Participation,” developed and
managed by EquiDiversity Foundation takes a holistic approach to tackle violence against women by promoting gender
equality through political, social and financial empowerment. EquiDiversity Foundation supports women elected
representatives to effectively perform their duties alongside empowering women in each Panchayat (village council},
through the formation of a Nargi Jagaran Committees (Community Watch Commitees), which offers a platform for
women to find solidarity, challenge gender-based violence and implement prevention strategies to address it, support
survivors of violence, and act as a bridge between women voters and local government. The organisation works to
strengthen women leaders in Panchayats and remove the dominance of men, who tend to try to ‘rule for them’. Women
create development plans and take these to the Panchayat where they push for their priorities to be addressed in the
Panchayat’s annual development plan and budget.

However, the project goes way beyond this, Equidiversity Foundation assists victims of early forced marriages, child
abuse, and other forms of violence against women by offering mental health services and ensuring their safety. The
Foundation is committed to creating an environment that promotes gender equality through political, social, and
financial empowerment with the active, informed participation of individuals, the community, and the state. They
mobilise community women, elected women representatives, and young people, to work on development and gender
equality issues, alongside raising awareness at the individual, community, and state levels around governance, gender
equality, individual rights and entitlements, and addressing gender-based violence and discrimination. They also build
capacity at all levels for active participation in political processes, gender-responsive budgeting, community
development, fighting gender injustices and inequalities, raising social awareness, and supporting women to develop
their lives, livelihoods, and leadership skills.

Moreover, the organisation recognises that to address unequal power relations between men and women, it is
necessary to involve men in the process. The foundation offers workshops and seminars to improve men’s perceptions
of and attitudes toward gender-based violence, the value of women’s work, girls’ education, and women’s participation
in community activities and local governance. It mostly works with small groups of women’s husbands to change their
attitudes and behaviours and develop their empathy, understand gender inequality, and deconstruct toxic, oppressive
patriarchal masculinities and promote respect for women and girls.

EquiDiversity focuses on:

• Mobilisation of community women, elected women representatives, young people, to work on development and gender issues
• Awareness Generation at the community, individual and state levels around governance, gender equality, individual rights and entitlements, addressing gender-based violence-discrimination
• Awareness Generation through social media to mobilise public opinion and enhance visibility of the issues
• Advocacy at the state and community levels
• Capacity development and handholding at the individual, community and state levels for active participation in political processes, gender-responsive budgeting, community development, fighting gender injustices and inequalities, social awareness and develop life, livelihoods and leadership skills
• Livelihood based Activities
• Networking with the community, state departments and programmes & like-minded organisations
• Organisation Support Activities to strengthen community-based organizations like Women’s Rights Promotion Committees, Adult Literacy Centres and Theatre Groups
• Community Fellowship Programmes
• Documentation, Publication of IEC materials and Newsletters and conducting Research
• Organisational development
• Fundraising and mobilisation.