| INTERVENTIONS AGAINST FAMILY VIOLENCE
The issue of violence against women cuts across caste and class. It finds its base in the social system, customs and traditions and the lack of effective laws and their implementation. MASUM believes that violence can be stopped and that the community should be mobilised to act can bring an end to family violence taking support of law whenever necessary. MASUM initiated the interventions in family violence programme in 1996.
Through this programme it seeks to -
- Provide counselling service, legal advice and emotional support to women who are victims of violence through the counselling centre located at the Saswad and the village based para legal workers. At the counselling centre located at Saswad, a professional social worker, counsellors and a psychologist provide the above services. A lawyer visits the centre once a week for providing legal advice. The village based para legal workers assist women in handling their crisis, build local support for them and provide follow-up at the village level.
Efforts are directed to resolve problems at the familial level through dialogue and community pressure. Home visits are conducted in order to follow up and further facilitate the dialogue with the husband, in-laws and other relatives. Meetings are also conducted in order to generate community awareness around the issues of violence against women and women's mental health. Where the family is unwilling to make amends, the woman gets legal help. At times when the woman's husband and in-laws continue to harass her even after separation by not allowing her to take back her own belongings (known as Streedhan which include her clothes, utensils, jewellery and other items) negotiations are sought with them to get her streedhan back. However if the negotiations fail pressure in terms of peaceful demonstrations are held in the village square or outside the Gram Panchayat office. On some occasions, the local police station is approached for assisting the woman to enter the house to pick up her belongings under protection.
The counselling centre is also in touch with the police stations at Saswad and Jejuri and networks with the free legal aid centre of the Shivajinagar district court of Pune, crisis shelters and other women's organisations in Pune.
- Create awareness against domestic violence through women's meetings in village. Women are motivated to form support groups and pressure groups at the village level to support women in distress as well as influence decision makers (village leadership) to act on behalf of the women in crisis.
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Build capacities of women and develop a safety net for them so that they are able survive in violent situation as well as get out of violent situations whenever the need arises.
- Identify cases of depression and take necessary steps to help women get out of depression.
With the aim that the newly married husband and wife get to know each other well and develop a harmonious relationship between them, MASUM organises get-togethers for newly married couples. These get-togethers comprise of various activities, games and impart information on issues of health, contraception etc.,
MASUM observes the 16 days of activism against gender violence which is observed internationally and organises various programmes at the village level to promote respect for women's right to lead a life which is free of violence
The child-centred counselling and therapy centre was set up in December 2001 in Pune city, as a part of the interventions against family violence. The centre called Tarang provides specialised and sensitive therapeutic services for children in psychological distress and to those who are affected because of family violence. It caters to children from both the Pune city and the Purandar taluka. Children from the villages are referred to Tarang for therapeutic interventions whenever essential. Here play therapy and art therapy are used to encourage children to express their fears, confusions and tensions and to develop coping skills. Parents are facilitated to establish a harmonius and supportive relationship with their children in order to enable the child to cope with stressful situations.
A rural child-centred counselling centre also known as the children's room has been set up within counselling centre at Saswad to address the needs of children who may be affected by violence directly or indirectly. Once a week, the child counsellor from Tarang provides counselling services at this centre. She conducts sessions with the child and also works with the parents regarding the child's concern.
MASUM's de-addiction programme is also a part of the interventions against domestic violence programme. MASUM started working with men through the de-addiction programme in 2001. The need for this programme had been articulated by both the men and women in the Malshiras village. The women in this village had been able to ban sale of alcoholl. Many of the men who were addicted to alcohol wanted to give it up. To complement the women's initiative and to support the men in their endeavour, MASUM started the de-addiction programme. This programme aimed at creating awareness in men against violence against women and also to create a space for recovering addicts in the society. After conducting several meetings with the men and women in the village and the hamlets, in April 2002 de-addiction group was formed in Malshiras. This group meets once every week. A similar group was formed in the Tekawadi village. This group also meets once every week. These group meetings are planned and consist of physical exercises/yoga, personal sharing and guided group discussions. People are encouraged to speak freely and to form bonds among themselves. These groups have organised various programmes related to de-addiction. They also celebrate a de-addiction week and fortnight. Efforts are directed to prevent new people from taking to addictions and information is disseminated about other prevalent forms of addictions and their effects.
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