Atrocities Against Women

Women are the most vulnerable section of society in India. Not only is their body often the battle ground through which caste and religious discrimination asserts itself, but even within their own communities women are treated as subservient to their male counterparts. Punjab’s unequal sex ratio means that men far outnumber women and means that women are increasingly treated as physical objects rather than as equal fellow citizens. The high profile incident of a 23 year old being gangraped in Delhi in December 2012 has been followed by reports of similar incidences in Punjab, something which is by no means a recent phenomenon. This has confirmed our contentions that women continue to be the most vulnerable groups within our society.

We work closely with the lower caste communities to sensitise them to the ideas of equality and respect with regard to their women. At VSJ we are committed to promoting the role of women both at home and in the workplace. To do this we hold women only conclaves which are attended by women only and are run by VSJ’s women staff. The purpose of these conclaves is to educate women about their rights and empower them through collective action.