Reducing violence against girls and women is a strategic priority of Actionaid India 's women's rights and gender justice work. In recent years there has been an alarming rise in violence against girls and women with domestic violence, molestation, and rape showing highest rate of growth both in the urban and rural areas. One-quarter of the reported rapes involve girls under the age of 16. Large number of girls between the ages of 5 and 15 are trafficked or sold. Millions of girls are eliminated, some even before they are born. There are growing attacks by conservative and communal forces. Sexual abuse and violence is fuelling the feminisation of the AIDS crisis . The unequal power relations between men and women in society and at home lie at the heart of this violence.

Violence Against Girls and Education
The role of power relations explains also why girl children are frequently victims of sexual and other violence, being relatively more powerless and vulnerable. Violence against girls takes place in the wider context of patriarchy, gender based discriminations and poverty. Girls are at high risk in the community, in the family, on the way to and from schools, and in school grounds and classrooms. In school, violence takes a range of forms including aggressive sexual behaviour, intimidation and assault by older boys, sexual advances by male teachers, corporal punishments and verbal abuse.

Globalisation, Poverty and Violence Against Women
Women who are living in poverty are most vulnerable to violence and are the least able to remove themselves from violent situations or access formal institutions that might offer assisting in resisting violence for example, health, education, social, psychological, legal and police services. What is of particular concern is that over time, the incidence of poverty and powerlessness among women and girls is increasing as a result of Globalisation and neo-liberal policies. Loss of land and traditional sources of livelihood have led to the feminisation of migration (mainly as domestic workers) and the increase in trafficking of women and girls, situations that leave them vulnerable to violence and sexual exploitation. This has also led to increasing sex trade and hence increasing risks of HIV/AIDS infection. The changing pattern of production and technology pushed women into the informal and export oriented sectors which raise questions in relation to violence against women (e.g. sexual harassment) and labour standards.

ActionAid India Campaign
ActionAid India has undertaken the campaign against violence against girls and women across 10 states of India . These are Maharashtra , Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal , Bihar , Rajasthan, Ahmedabad, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi , and Uttar Pradesh.

The major objectives the campaign are:

• To, raise critical consciousness on the magnitude and implications of violence against girls and women in the civil society and institutions such as schools.

• To, emphasis civil society institutions such as schools, educational system, community's responsibility to prevent violence against girls and women.

• To emphasis state responsibility to address women's and girls rights and to eliminate violence against girls and women through policy change, effective implementation of laws and mechanisms, adequate budget.

• To, highlight the linkage between the processes of globalisation, increasing powerlessness of women and violence.

• To build solidarity and partnership with existing women networks, human rights groups and movements, national and international.

The Campaign: Strategies and Partners
The campaign plans to involve the different social and political institutions panchayats, municiplalities, state authorities, schools -government and public, formal and nonformal, community groups and our local CBO partners. It looks at the schools as being not only the centers of education but as also one of the major forces that have a great influence not only in shaping young minds but also influence public opinion and social commitments. In this sense, the educational system and schooling should be a space providing the 'positive environment' for the children. Similarly, all other institutions the family, the community, the local self-governance bodies have to be space which are truly empowering for women and girls. Strong linkages with the media, to bring violence against girls, into public discourse.