Paro Jagruti abhiyan (Drive for legal rights)

With an aim to disseminate legal and social rights of trafficked brides, Empower People organized a block level Conclave in Nagina block of Mewat, they started a campaign titled Paro Jagriti Abhiyan in the district.
Last year with the help of district administration and active involvement of district sessions Judge MM Dhonchak, Empower People and DLSA Mewat had launched a program 'Pahal' as an outreach to Paro women on their door step. This resulted in a district wide Union of those trafficked brides who are famously known as Paro. A total of 10 paro women were also inducted in the DLSA as para legal volunteers to achieve the goal set by the District legal service authority Mewat and Empower people.
Today in the conclave, Chief Judicial Magistrate of Mewat cum secretary of DLSA, Shree Narendra Singh was present to chair the occasion. He shared his experience as Judge and promised all possible support in legal framework. He said that being a local and male member of society, he feels that violations of law and denial of rights of these women is a heinous social crime which needs to be vanquished out with active involvement of local community. Saleem Khan of empower people said that it is really a matter of pride for mewat, that the community is realising the importance of the rights of these women and extending support without any condition. Meanwhile rest of haryana is still not sensitized enough regarding rights of such women. Even Community leaders who are also Paro women actively working with the NGO Empower People spoke on the occasion and shared their experience.
Rekha said she belongs to Nanded district of Maharashtra and can't even recall her full address because she never went home again and no one ever came to look for her from there. She said three persons came into her life as a husband and abandoned her for no reason. Her children can't study in schools because people don't actually care for them and others discriminate against them for being a child of a paro woman. She said she is hopeful after becoming part of Paro conclave and now she feels that she's not alone and has the support of other women and community members. She said- "Even a judge came here to meet us, this is like a dream. I have never even imagined that a judge will come to our door step to extend support."
Shahnaz lives in extreme poverty and hopes to meet her family without even knowing how she will recognise her family members. She wishes to see an actualization of all promise. She says- "It's just a dream and it can't be actualized atleast in my life." But she hoped that no other girl should have to ever see what they have survived.
Salma spoke about wanting a holistic change in the lives of these women because no community can survive without respecting their women.