Justice for Ambika – Young Dalit Women’s Empowerment Campaign

The story of Ambika, a young Dalit girl’s story typifies the vulnerabilities of a young growing Dalit girl in a district like Raichur. Ambika, age 13, had dropped out of school (after 5th standard). She belongs to an agricultural labourers’ family. Since the daily wages is the only source of livelihood for them, her parents never really got the time to devote to their children. She was allured by her neighbour (man – 25 years of age) into stepping out of the house with him on Aug 26, 2018, on the pretext of a village religious fair (jathre). While the parents kept searching for her, the man returned that night and committed suicide the next day. The body of Ambika was found after four days, partially decomposed. Jagrutha Mahila Sanghatan tried its best to move the justice system, however, the entire investigative and justice system failed her.

Though JMS has been working with Dalit women, it has been completely engrossed in addressing caste-based violence, discrimination, human rights violations, domestic violence etc. Young men and women have been trained with life-skills and exposure. Ambika’s death has opened up the need for addressing the issues of young girls and boys, who have access to technology, cell-phones, who have greater mobility. However, they are more vulnerable than ever. JMS has learnt that such incidents happen quite rampantly and go unreported and invisible from public memory.

The key issue for JMS is for a generational change in Dalit communities it is imperative to focus on the empowerment of young girls and boys, to build their consciousness of self-respect, dignity and their own rights, and also to equip them with capacities to navigate life and the stresses the current context brings.

Since 2018, JMS has taken up a serious campaign to reach out to young people, especially young Dalit girls, and to bring them together on a youth platform.

• JMS has reached out to 500 youths in 10 villages and 5 schools, with a singular focus on talking to young people who are school going (9th standard to under-graduation), young married women (19-22 years of age) and drop-outs in villages, who are by and largely unattended.

• Four workshops were organised on different themes.

• 15 young people( girls and boys) were taken to Bangalore and Hospet to participate in youth festivals and youth campaigns to broaden their worldview and perspectives.

• Creating safe learning spaces at JMS: JMS has opened up spaces for young girls to drop in at JMS and they are mentored by other youth facilitators to learn computer, English. This is to provide them with a safe and non-threatening space that will help JMS to gain their trust and confidence.

JMS initiatives. 100 young people participate in various initiatives of JMS, including workshops and exposure tours. Some of the reservations parents had about their going out, and to the distant city of Bangalore, have now been resolved.

JMS as a learning space: With the minimal resources of one computer and in-house capacity of young people who are dedicated to this cause, about 10 young girls are approaching JMS regularly for learning computers and to build their capacities.

Youth Learning Centre: JMS has planned to formalise these efforts through a Savitribai Phule Youth Learning Centre and to reach out to 500 young girls and 500 equal number of boys, through creative ways which will empower them and also build their skills.

JMS as a critical empowerment space: For a larger impact on the lives of youth, JMS believes that it has to facilitate critical reflection in both girls and boys on the larger societal barriers such as socialisation, the impact of technology (cell phones) without critical reflection, the gender-just society, respectful relationships between boys and girls etc.

JMS as a youth resource centre: The long-term impact JMS wants to have is to be a youth resource centre for all youth in the district, a space that is owned by young people, to shape their own future.