Public Education and Community Action

Social conditioning and beliefs colour our perceptions. Abused women more often than not, find themselves at the receiving end as people judge them through discriminatory patriarchal lenses. We work to create awareness, build public consciousness and trigger action amongst society at large to end violence and discrimination against women.

MAKING IT EVERYBODY’S CAUSE: Campaigns and Public Education Programmes

Campaigning is an integral part of Swayam's activities and an effective tool for creating public awareness. Since inception, we have run regular campaigns that aim to break the myths around violence against women and girls, emphasising that it is a social problem and that it is everybody's responsibility to speak out and take action to prevent it. And as a result of our campaigns and activism we often see a noticeable increase in the number of women approaching Swayam and Protection Officers in their districts following our outreach work.

Swayam's survivors of violence and volunteers always play an important role in our campaign activities and are encouraged to organise programmes with us. Further to this, our well established community groups often work independently of Swayam initiating their own campaigns on local issues as well as women’s right violations.

We promote awareness frequently amongst the youth of Kolkata by working extensively in schools and colleges. We also conduct trainings on gender equality and violence against women and involve young people in our campaigns. YUVA, a youth group promoted by Swayam, lead their own annual campaign activities.

General campaigns are held frequently throughout Kolkata and cover a wide range of topics linked to women’s rights issues.

Swayam’s community teams are also very proactive with campaigning in their respective localities. The regularly lead awareness campaigns on women’s rights, violence against women, citizen’s rights and entitlements.

We use various tools to create awareness, such as posters, photography exhibitions, film festivals, the Swayam Theatre and Music groups, rallies, leafleting, games and social media.

Swayam on Wheels: Our Mobile Campaign Van

In 2016 we introduced a mobile campaign van which has proved to be an effective way of raising public awareness in the wider communities. The van is unique in that it houses a large TV, a counselling room, a performance stage and is equipped with a sound system and microphones. It travels around Kolkata on a regular basis and parks in strategic locations, promoting Swayam’s work and raising awareness of women’s rights with theatre, music, films and leafleting.

Community Mobilisation

Community empowerment and mobilisation has been highly successful in numerous areas inside and outside Kolkata, thanks to the development of community groups by Swayam. Through these groups we are able to mobilise large numbers of men, women and youth in rural and urban areas by equipping them with the tools to prevent violence against women in their communities.

As of March 2020 there were 265 women’s groups and 77 men’s groups with a total of  4062 members. The groups began as part of a community mobilisation programme in 2007 with the ultimate objective of creating violence-free communities. Our model begins with capacity building of future community leaders/advocates who then go on to form their own committees, lead awareness campaigns, mobilise others and most importantly protect and support women affected by violence in their localities. As a result, it is these committed members who become the facilitators of social change and contribute to genuine long-term development in their communities.

"Another world is not only possible; she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing.”
— Arundhati Roy (Indian author and social activist)