Akshara Centre( Registered as Front for Rapid Economic Advancement of India)

Front For Rapid Economic Advancement of India (FREA) and its project Akshara Centre works with women and youth from different walks of life to promote Read more gender equality and a violence-free society and employability. Akshara provides scholarships for education, training in life and technical skills, and job placement for socially and economically disadvantaged young women between the ages of 14 and 24 in Mumbai. Young women primarily poor Poverty and lack of resources and daughters of single mother are some of the crucial criteria for selection of girls. Their parents are usually from the Informal Sector doing jobs as domestic servants, office support, watchmen etc. Free primary education provided by the government has reached most of this target group. They are educated up to the 10th and 12th standards. Higher education amongst this group is low. FREA India/Akshara trains young men to become supporters of gender equality and take up personal and social action. This work is done through The National Social Service unit of the Education Dept, GOM has officially recognized Akshara’s program with youth. We work with around 20 colleges and about 400 students every year. Students can be a part of Akshara’s programs for each year. Our training workshops on Masculinity and Leadership Development have encouraged students to Join the Anti-Violence Campaign and for women to take leadership. Our aim is exposing young people to issues of gender, sexuality, violence against women and sexual health. Akshara is playing a key role in promoting preventive solutions and developing strategies for a ‘Gender Inclusive City’ with the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, transport authorities, police and State. Akshara is a leading voice in many national and regional networks which advocate for better laws against sexual violence, improved implementation and gender inclusion in local, state and national policies. Akshara’s work to make the Development Plan of Mumbai more inclusive has been successful in getting an entire chapter on Gender included for the first time in any vision document in the city planning. Akshara has always risen to support and assist during national and natural calamities whether it is floods or tsunami. This time during the Covid 19 Lockdown, society as a whole and women in particular suffered loss of jobs and livelihood. Akshara raised and distributed direct transfers to young women, single women and women rag pickers. We helped survivors of domestic violence as the number of cases had risen exponentially.We responded by a large campaign requesting women to report and also connected it with police authorities and special cell for women and children. Please click on #Lockdownondomesticviolence to see the videos. The campaign reached over 6 million views.

Vision:
To establish gender just and violence free society
Long Term Goal:
All Women and Girls Have Equitable Access, Opportunities and Participate In the Socio, Eco, Political Life of A City
Akshara Centre is a Mumbai based women’s rights organisation committed to building a gender equal, gender just and a violence free society. We empower young women from resource poor families so that they can challenge deep rooted gender inequalities and claim their rights to education and opportunity to break out of their cycle of poverty and achieve their full potential. Akshara Centre engages young men in this process to redefine gender norms and co-create the gender equal world. Akshara has been at the forefront of the development of south-south international feminist alliances, in the world social forum and Un Women processes . Akshara has played a key role in the development of the ‘Gender Inclusive City’ with the State, BMC, with the police, transport authorities.
We believe in changing minds and hearts of individuals, challenge the gender narrative in society and intervene to ensure change in the system.

Our work rests on four strategies:
1. Empower young women and men by building and strengthening their leadership capabilities and skills to claim their right to access education, health, sanitation and other public services and improve their well-being and quality of life. Young men are engaged not recognize their role and be part of the solution.
2. Influence public opinion with ‘new gender narratives’ in public campaigns which change the way people think and act on issues of gender equalit, sexual harassment and violence.
3. Collaborate with State Government, Police and Mumbai Municipal Corporation to ensure provision of quality and safe public services
4. Build national and state alliances to establish and implement laws and policies for preventing sexual harassment in public spaces

To achieve this, Akshara has chosen the following activities under each strategy:
1. Empowerment of youth (young women and men)
a. Providescholarship to potential female gender advocates
b. Conduct workshops with both young men and women on increasing understanding on gender, masculinity and sexual harassment and violence
c. Work closely with young men on redefining masculinity
d. Undertake gender and safety audit trainings
e. Mobilize families, communities and youth for public and social action and outreach engagements such as poster campaigns at multiple bus stops, bus TVs and bus routes
f. Conduct annual Yuvak Yuvati Melas
g. Conduct safety audits and safety surveys in neighbourhoods, colleges, train station, bus stops and streets.
h. Host film clubs on gender equality

2. Influence public opinion with ‘new gender narratives’ in public campaigns
a. Plan and implement large public campaigns such as Gaana Re-Write, launch of Directory of Resources for Women by the Sheriff of Mumbai and celebrated cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar or campaign against domestic violence with support of 26 celebrities
b. Host public conversations in public spaces - such as the events on Equal Street and Interactive art installation in Kala Ghoda festival, dialogues in G5A, artist residency for 10 days and 13 performances in the city, poetry competitions, flash mobs with young women in public spaces, One Billion rising events etc.
3. Collaborate with State Government and Mumbai Municipal Corporation to ensure provision of quality and safe public services

a. Making city transportation systems safe and effective for women through two separate programs - Making Public Buses safe for Women and Making Railways Safe for women. This involved dialogue with transport authorities, training bus conductors and railway personnel, conducting safety walks and infrastructural audits and campaigning for increasing public awareness and support for decreasing the incidences of harassment.
b. Sensitizing police for increased access to justice - setting emergency helpline 103, training and sensitizing police personnel on the issue of sexual harassment in public spaces, generating awareness on laws, helping them to document data and cases, and improve their emergency response system.
c. Working with the Urban and Spatial Planning Department: Akshara has been a key contributor to the Development Plan for Mumbai in making it gender inclusive as it is an important opportunity and platform to raise concerns, share findings and recreate public spaces that can enhance women’s safety and feeling of security.
4. Build national and state alliances to establish and implement laws and policies for preventing sexual harassment in public spaces
a. Research for documenting and archiving data, case studies, local solution etc. on incidences, perspectives, and combat strategies on sexual harassment in collaboration with newspapers, colleges, universities and other CSOs
b. Building Alliances and partnerships with media, local councillors and legislators and other civil society organizations at local, national and international level