Gender discrimination and violence against women are common in India. According to reports, one in three women, as young as 15, face some form of domestic or sexual violence. The same report estimated that more than half of the women in the statistics believe domestic violence is normal. 

Women are made to believe they are inferior as they grow up. They are taught to be dependent on male figures in their lives and such misogynistic ideas are deep-rooted. A few other reasons contributing to such patriarchy are lack of education, awareness and fear of social stigma. Several women suffer in silence while only 14% have sought help. 

Such large numbers are terrifying, so several NGOs are intervening to help women and children. Some are providing them with education, sanitation, and access to healthcare. However, some NGOs are dealing with larger issues and are helping women fight for their human rights. 

Here are five NGOs empowering women to fight for their rights: 

Majlis 

Majlis Manch is a Public Trust and an NGO headed by renowned Advocate and Women's Rights Activist, Flavia Agnes. It was started in 1991 as a response to a growing need for lawyers with a gender perspective who are dedicated to evolving innovative legal practices to defend women's rights.

Majlis started by providing legal support and guidance to women facing domestic violence to access their rights and pursue justice in courts. Further, they have extended support to women and child victims of sexual violence as well as sexual harassment at the workplace.

They are also involved in training, research, campaigns, and publications on issues concerning violence against women and children. They work to demystify laws and make them accessible to judges, lawyers, prosecutors, police, NGOs and other government and non-government representatives and most importantly, to women themselves. 

Click here to know more. 

Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP)

Founded in 1982 by eminent Sarvodaya Leader Shyam Sundar Das, CLAP is an NGO that advances human rights through the use of the law, legal process and legal system. It manages the Legal Service Institute through the activities of CLAP. 

The organization has a mission to render legal services pro-bono to strengthen access to justice for the marginalized and undertakes juridical advocacy for legal reform. It originated to broaden the horizon of legal services in its various dimensions for promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights. Over the years it evolved as a specialized organization in the field of law and justice. 

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Prerana 

This is one of the pioneer organizations for the rescue, protection, and rehabilitation of human trafficking victims. They work towards preventing second-generation trafficking of their children and conduct in-depth research and networking to increase the impact across the country.

Prerana works with various state governments to frame anti-human trafficking schemes and policies to rescue and rehabilitate victims; helping with legal proceedings to restore their rights.

Furthermore, they are the first organization to introduce and implement the professional Home Investigation Report System to tap re-trafficking in suspected areas. 

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ActionAid India

ActionAid India, launched in 1972, helps the poor and the excluded. They have always been at the center of their programs in India. They are primarily a human rights organization that works for the rights of disadvantaged women and children ensuring that they have good means of livelihood. 

ActionAid has empowered its women to take up roles in the society which till now were dominated by males, such as truck drivers, cab drivers etc.

There are 22 centers across the country and till now, 40,000 cases have been registered in the centers.

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Shikshan Ane Samaj Kalyan Kendra

Shikshan Ane Samaj Kalyan Kendra was established in 1980 by a group of young dedicated volunteers. 

At that time migration of people to other places was prevalent as agriculture was the main occupation and water was scarce due to drought. People were illiterate and their economic condition was poor. Thus to check the migration and to provide choices of livelihood, the organization was founded.  

Since its inception, the organization has been working for the betterment of the status of people. 

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