Vijayalakshmi, President, Grameena Mahila Mandali (GMM), Solipet village, Bommalaramaram mandal, Nalagonda district, Andhra Pradesh, says, “Women of all castes and class are afflicted by domestic violence in the state. As a partner of the campaign, we have made serious efforts to get them to articulate their problems, view violence as a violation of their basic human rights and seek and demand redress.”

 Padmavati, Coordinator, Andhra Pradesh Women’s Network, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, says, “We are a network of 26 organisations in Andhra Pradesh, working in 367 villages and 19 of the state’s 25 districts. We are privileged to be part of the campaign as domestic violence impinges on the lives of a majority of the women in the state. We have reached the campaign message to over a lakh of people.” 

 Hilda Grace Coelho, President, Centre for Rural Studies and Development (CRDS), Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, says, “I see the campaign to be a journey with a goal. It has a clear mandate and realistic goals. Because of the campaign, we as an organisation have been able to involve youth in our actions, a section that we have been unable to work with earlier.”

C Banuja, President, Rural and Environment Development Society (REDS), Kadri district, Andhra Pradesh, says, “There are ten mandals in Kadri. It is a groundnut growing belt. We have had 478 farmer deaths in the last five years and mass migration. The social problems in this region are many. Our efforts to confront the problems faced by women -- particularly domestic violence -- have been bolstered by the campaign. We are making headway with the youth, women and even political representatives.”

 Mary Alphonsa, President, Society for the Upliftment of the Needy (SUN), Kammam, says, “Women deserve a life that is violence free. We will do everything to ensure this”

 Meera Kaintura, Coordinator, Garhwal Vikas Kendra, says, “We work in the Garhwal region (in the five districts of Chamoli, Tehri, Rudraprayag and Uttar Kashi) in the areas of education, natural resource management and issues related to women. Over the years, we have noticed that women seek recourse to justice through the patwaris. They seek help on issues relating to domestic violence and property but are rarely given their due. Mahila Ayogs do try and help but the plight of women remains pitiable. The campaign has breathed fresh impetus to the women’s movement. We have incorporated the issue of domestic violence within our outreach programmes and we hope that we can impact on lives positively."

 Jahnavi Tiwari, Women’s Coordinator, Disha Social Organisation, Uttaranchal, says, “Disha has been active in addressing gender-related concerns for the past 25 years. Though there are no official figures, I can say with 23 years of experience behind me, that 80 per cent of the women in this region are abused in their very homes. But the crisis remains unacknowledged till date. We aim to bring this issue out into the open and underline its gravity.”