Geography: India
Founded: 1995
Address:9/2B Deodar Street
Kolkata 700019
West Bengal
India
About Swayam
Swayam is a women’s rights organization committed to ending violence against women and children, based in Kolkata, India. Swayam literally means ‘oneself’ and was set up to provide a holistic support service to women facing violence in their lives. Their strength is their empowering, woman-centred approach, which looks beyond a woman’s immediate need for support and encourages her to become self-confident, self-sufficient and self-reliant. They believe that each individual possesses an inner strength to counter obstacles and thus emerge with renewed self-confidence as a stronger, more complete person.
Swayam envisages a just and equitable world where there is peace, tolerance, cooperation and equality between men and women - a world that is free from violence and discrimination.
They work with women facing violence in their lives and facilitate a process of ‘self- discovery’ that enables them to move ahead with confidence and dignity. Their Support Centre provides them with wide-ranging services like counselling, a drop-in-centre, follow up of cases with the police, legal aid, health care, child support and referrals for employment, vocational training and shelter.
Their Public Education and Awareness Generation Programme aims to generate discussion and debate, share information about women’s issues and influence public opinion against violence on women and children. They work with educational institutions, police, judiciary, community groups, NGOs, and the general public. They conduct Research on and Campaigns against violence on women and lobby for broad socio-legal changes with different state agencies. They also produce posters, leaflets, factsheets, resource directories and other campaign materials.
Mission
Swayam aims to establish the right of women and children to live a life free from violence and fear by:
- Working towards ending violence against women and children
- Enabling women to take control of their lives and reinforce their belief in themselves by facilitating a process of self-dependence
- Questioning and trying to change established social norms and values that have deemed Violence against Women acceptable.
- Working in a collective manner and in solidarity with movements and struggles for a violence free world.