Durga

Fosters a secure environment for women by empowering individuals and communities to promote gender justice through engaging theater workshops, collaborative partnerships with authorities, and innovative tools for reporting and intervention, striving to create a safe society for all

  • Bronze Certified 2023
  • FCRA
  • 80G
  • 12A
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About

  • Headquarters

    Bangalore, Karnataka

  • Since

    2013

I'M Every Woman(Durga) is an organisation that strives to create a safe world for every woman, allowing her to express herself freely. Its mission is Read moreto ensure safety for all against sexual harassment. It aims to achieve this by involving all four players: men, women, communities, and spaces in women's safety. Durga conducts theatre-based workshops for both men and women in schools, colleges, workspaces, and communities. Its programmes focus on gender justice in public spaces, particularly workspaces, to create a safe environment for women. The flagship Durga workshop helps individuals gauge their resistance to inappropriate behaviour and empowers them to address sexual harassment in their own way. Durga also works towards making cities safe for women and children by collaborating with the police, Government, and civil society. Its initiative, BeTogetherBangalore, working with the Police, aims to increase the presence of women in public spaces and develop mechanisms to ensure safety. Durga's Box It initiative places complaint boxes in public spaces, such as prominent bus terminals, to provide women with an accessible way to seek help and report genuine complaints. Additionally, Durga Alarms, piloted in Bangalore's buses and later in Delhi, aim to create awareness about sexual violence and prompt bystander intervention through loud noise. Overall, Durga is dedicated to promoting gender justice and creating a safe society for women.

Demographies Served

Impact

I'M Every Woman has created 21,300 Durgas, 758 Dares, established 98 educational institutions, and set up 30 Voice Labs, making a significant impact in empowering women.

Programs

  • Active Bystander Programme

    Durga works with ordinary citizens in public spaces, aiming to instil confidence and responsibility in them to become active bystanders against sexual harassment. Through a 21-day intervention, Durga engages with individuals and believes that as socially conscious citizens, they can play a crucial role in supporting survivors. Durga also collaborates with various communities, including ragpickers, girls from tea gardens, the Department of Women and Child Development, and bus drivers/conductors. By fostering open conversations on gender, stereotypes, power imbalance, and safety, Durga aims to raise awareness, address safety issues, and create safer communities. The goal is to empower people to take control of their own safety and involve men in finding solutions for women's safety in the spaces they occupy.

  • Building Blocks Programme

    Building Blocks focuses on empowering adolescents with vulnerable childhoods to lead fulfilling lives and become equal participants in society. By promoting the right to a safe childhood, Durga helps these young individuals develop values and a sense of self-worth. The programme aims to build confidence, prevent harassment, and ensure that adolescents can identify and deter inappropriate behaviour. Through interactive and participatory interventions, Durga works with adolescents in juvenile homes, shelter homes (Government and private), and Government schools, with the goal of creating a brighter future for these individuals.

  • Corporate Engagement Programme

    Durga addresses gender discrimination and biases in the corporate sector to create more gender-equitable workspaces where women feel safe and empowered. Its interventions focus on raising awareness about women's rights to safe working conditions and promoting their well-being and safety. Durga collaborates with organisations to conduct experiential workshops that sensitize employees on gender and safety. It also supports small and medium enterprises in establishing their PoSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Policy and assists organisations in designing policies that prioritize the well-being of all employees, regardless of gender. The aim is to maximize the potential of women's talent by fostering their safety and creating an inclusive work environment.

  • BoxIt Programme

    Recognizing the challenges of approaching a police station, Durga acknowledges the difficulty many face in overcoming this barrier. To address this, Durga introduced Box It, a system designed to safeguard women. By strategically placing complaint boxes in public spaces accessible to women, such as prominent bus terminals in collaboration with the Bangalore Bus Transport system, Durga brings the complaint mechanism closer to those who may find themselves in vulnerable situations in public spaces.

  • Partnership with Police

    Durga strives to create a safe city for women and children through various strategies, including enhancing access and opportunities for reporting crimes. The initiative BeTogetherBangalore collaborates closely with the Police, Government, and civil society to establish mechanisms that ensure the increased presence of women in public spaces at all times. Its primary focus is on implementing or adopting plans to enhance safety in specific jurisdictions, working towards the overarching goal of creating safer environments for all.

  • Be A Durga Programme

    This flagship Durga workshop offers a unique and immersive experience that enables participants to assess their own resistance against inappropriate behaviour and tap into their inner strength to address sexual harassment in public spaces. Through this hands-on programme, individuals are empowered to confront such situations in their own unique and effective manner, fostering a safer environment for all.

Leadership Team

  • Priya Varadarajan

    Founder & Chief Imagination Officer

  • Meenakshi Giridhar

    Trustee

  • Evan Hastings

    Advisor

  • Anant Gangola

    Advisor

  • Vidya Soundarajan

    Advisor

M&E

  • Internal, External Assessors

    No

Policies

  • Ethics and Transparency Policies

    No

  • Formal CEO Oversight & Compensation Policy

    No

Political & Religious Declarations

  • On Affiliation if any

    No

  • On Deployment Bias if any

    No

Registration Details

  • PAN Card

    AABTI0155K

  • Registration ID

    BKIV818/12-13

  • VO ID / Darpan ID

    KA/2017/0159187

  • 12A

    AABTI0155KE20213

  • 80G

    AABTI0155KF20153

  • FCRA

    2017008301

  • CSR Registration Number

    Not Available

Location

  • Headquarters

    193, 36 B Cross, Jayanagar 7th Block, Next to National College, Bangalore, 560070

    Directions
  • Offices in Cities

Other Details

  • Type & Sub Type

    Non-profit
    Trust