In the year 2000, a group of volunteers decided to fight for justice for the death of one child and two Dalit laborer’s in an illegal unit of firecrackers in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. The volunteers decided to come together as an organization, and Jan Sahas (meaning People's Courage) was born.

Initially focused on building awareness and community empowerment to end manual scavenging, today we strive to eliminate sexual violence and forced labour, and empower survivors of such violence. We are particularly focused on the most excluded social groups, including those facing gender and caste violence. 

Jan Sahas has been working to end sexual violence against women and children (SVWC) for over a decade, using strategies that have evolved and grown as understanding of the issue has deepened. Jan Sahas’ work on SVWG has emerged from its ongoing work to liberate women from caste and gender based slavery and further towards empowering survivors and those who are at most risk to fight the war against SVWG. Jan Sahas’ goal is to strike at the roots of gender injustice, to facilitate bottom-up social change, and to achieve liberation from a mindset that pervades society in order to ensure dignity and justice for all children and women.