Bhubaneswar: U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad, in partnership with the Social Welfare Agency and Training Institute (SWATI), today officially launched the “Empowering Women through Legal Literacy Campaign in Odisha.” The effort, funded through a USD 33,900 grant from the U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad, will assist grassroots women leaders across Odisha 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, who spoke at a launch event for the grant. “This project 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.”
The project is being executed by two former participants in U.S. Government exchange programs, Ms. Sujata Mohapatra and Ms. Pujafula Pattanayak, in collaboration with SWATI. The project 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 for its use 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. Women will also be trained in social media intervention to bolster their fight for gender equality and combat discrimination, harassment, and exploitation.
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