Shruti Kapoor |
Having lived in
India for the first 20 years of my life, I’ve experienced sexual harassment
first hand, and through my time, I understand that my experience is part of a
broader social problem. I created Sayfty right after the horrific 2012 Delhi
gang rape incident. The incident deeply impacted me, and inspired me to
actively find a solution for this problem. I no longer wanted to be a silent
bystander; I wanted to show Indian women how to take charge of their own
safety.
Sayfty’s vision is
to make the daily lives of millions women in India safer by preparing them to
take a stand against violence. Whether it’s the urban office worker, the
student or the rural traveler, our self-defense workshops not only teach easy
self-defense skills, but they also instill a level of confidence that can
improve life outcomes for women. Gender role discussions show additional ways
to address violent situations. Women emerge ready to engage, listen and
participate. Self-defense products give women a quick and effective way to
build their self-confidence and get out of a sticky situation. A woman’s safety
is her birthright and our vision is to ensure that she feels safe and free.
The major issues
that need attention with respect to activism itself are the following:
·
There is a lack of collaboration amongst various organizations
and activist. Each one is championing their own cause and working individually
towards their mission. Sometimes many are working individually towards the same
goal. What we need is greater collaboration and trust amongst organizations. We
lack a desire to work together and solve social problems collectively. There is
power in numbers and change will only happen when we all work together rather
than against each other. This is not a race to reach to the top. I encourage
collaboration and appeal for the same. Let’s not try to re-invent the wheel.
·
Change begins at the grassroots. One cannot sit in a foreign
country and make policy decisions without knowing the ground realities. I see a
lot of organizations sitting in the west trying to make change happen in
developing countries. It’s important to speak with the locals, live amongst
them, understand their problem and then find practical solutions. It’s
important to include the people in the process of change. Only then will it
truly work and solutions will emerge.
·
Today the face of activism is changing with the use of social
media. You no longer need millions of dollars to make change happen. People
have risen for a common cause and revolutions are happening merely with the
help of social media. Adapt and adopt the current means of technology to bring
about change. Be creative in your solutions and engage the crowd. Young people
are passionate, creative and full of idea; use them for raising awareness, for
bringing about positive change.
There are many
challenges that one faces in this line of work. The first challenge is changing
mindsets and age-old practices and customs. How does one break these
patriarchal beliefs and rules? Forget changing men, it’s so hard to convince
women too. To convince women that their safety is in their hands and they must
be aware, alert and equipped to protect themselves. The second challenge lies
in changing the system and ensuring that there is a zero-tolerance policy for
VAW at every level of governance and implementation. The third challenge lies
in teaching and instilling the right principles at an early age in childhood.
Parents need to lead by example. Education and awareness in school about VAW is
important. Respecting women and breaking stereotypes must be encouraged very
early own. The fourth challenge is to
teach bystanders to take the right action when they see something wrong.
Believe when your child complains to you about something wrong being done to
him. Take immediate action. Believe when your friend tells you someone harassed
her on the street and don’t ignore it, stand up against the harasser. Don’t be
a silent bystander. If you see something, say something.
Shift in mindsets
starts from home and starts at a very early age. Respecting people (whether
women or men) should be taught at an early age. A child learns what he sees at
home. If parents display violence or patriarchy and practice gender stereotypes
it’s what the child also eventually learn and practices as an adult.
One cannot expect
to change mindsets merely through candle light vigils and documentaries. The
emphasis and teaching should start early on. Just like one teaches kids a
language, it’s also important to teach this language at inception.
Change is always
hard. The easier thing to do is make a documentary or march in protest. But to
expect people to change their mindset, attitudes and behavior requires a lot
more than a simple march. It requires discipline and sometimes doing things you
don’t like. Personally, think of changing a small habit.
How hard is it to make that small shift? Hence the importance of teaching the
right habits in childhood!