BHUBANESWAR: India-US Consulate General, Hyderabad, in partnership with Social Welfare Agency and Training Institute (SWATI) on Tuesday launched a grant for ‘Empowering Women through Legal Literacy Campaign in Odisha’.
The initiative funded through a USD 33,900 grant from the US Consulate General will assist women leaders at the grassroots across the state to access laws and institutions that will help them address issues of gender-based violence and gender equity.
“The United States and India are committed to working together to combat gender discrimination and prevent violence against women,” said public diplomacy officer Jonathan Orr, while speaking at the launch of the grant.
The initiative will directly benefit 600 participants across 30 districts in Odisha, empowering them to act as advocates to support women and girls who are suffering from gender-based violence and discrimination.
It is being executed by two former participants in US government exchange programmes, Sujata
Mohapatra and Pujafula Pattanayak, in collaboration with SWATI. It will produce a handbook for women’s advocates providing information on laws, Constitutional provisions on gender justice and equity, grievance redressal mechanisms, and institutions available to support women.
The handbook and tools will be provided to women’s advocates in workshops across 30 districts in Odisha. Women trained in the workshops will be able to write petitions and police complaints to ensure that grievances are addressed.