Project Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives (AALI)

Campaign Story

About the project

Gender-based discrimination remains a pervasive challenge throughout many of the locales where CRY America partners work. In Jharkhand state, women and girls in underserved communities face domestic violence, sexual harassment and assault. Along with this, lack of access to safe mobility, basic power of choice, as well as susceptibility to trafficking, child marriage and superstition-fueled persecution (including “witch-hunting”) are the issues that needs to be addressed. Women are disempowered by a poor understanding of economic opportunities and available legal resources and justice mechanisms.

This Project is fully funded by the Oak foundation.

Making a difference

AALI is a women-led organization committed to the protection and advancement of rights of women, children and other marginalized communities in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Bihar. AALI educates women in these communities about their own rights. Its core project strategy is to create a grassroots network of Young Women Community (YWC) Leaders, who educate others on their legal rights and how to claim them. Additionally, the organisation trains lawyers on how to assist women and girls in navigating the legal system, and through one-on-one case management connects women with social security programs and livelihood opportunities.

The way forward

● Support at least 150 survivors for legal intervention of their cases across 8 districts
● Organize 2 large-scale survivors’ meetings focusing on legal and psychological counseling and leadership building
● Organize state-level Lawyer’s Workshop to increase understanding of the nuances of laws pertaining to women and girls
● Orient 120 district stakeholders and 50 Labour Ministry officials on roles and coordination of efforts related to women’s right to mobility and elimination of trafficking

● Train a new cohort of community case workers and YWC on gender and identity-based violations and engagement with justice mechanisms.
● Reach target of 300 direct case interventions by trained community case workers in all eight districts.
● Organize human rights/justice system workshops with key district government stakeholders and state-level lawyers’ network.
● Coordinate 160 community-level meetings with local youth, aimed at knowledge building on: safe mobility, access to justice, trafficking of women and girls, labor laws, choice in relationships, illegal detention and confinement by family and honor-related violence.

Project Impact

213

Cases intervention, including domestic violence, child marriage, trafficking, sexual abuse, and witch-hunting.

136

Women survivors empowered to pursue legal intervention

51

Domestic violence cases resolved

77

Women linked to various social safety-net programs

194

Stakeholders participated in workshops on safe mobility and trafficking.

99

Bilateral meetings held on roles and responsibilities pertaining to women’s justice.

Last Year’s Grant Disbursed (November 2021 – October 2022): $135,872

Current Year’s Approved Grant (November 2022 – October 2023): $148,860

Project Story

The parents of three-year-old Rashmi (name changed) faced an unimaginable ordeal when their child was the victim to a trafficking attempt last year. Their desperation worsened by recondite reporting processes and the seeming indifference of the system. Fortunately, AALI staff stepped in to help the couple.

When they were informed that the case fell under the jurisdiction of the Railway Police Station. The project team assisted the parents in filing the report.

After a 16-day search, Railway Police rescued Rashmi and brought her back to her parents. The child received treatment for acute physical and emotional trauma at a local hospital, after which she was reunited with her family.

With the decisive action and tireless advocacy of AALI’s community caseworkers, a happy childhood is again within Rashmi’s reach, following her recovery.