On the road against violence

In a bid to tackle HIV/AIDS and violence against women, an all-female team bussed across Maharashtra – a state with one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in India.

Setting out on 25 November with just five women, the bus picked up passengers in eight districts before reaching Pune for a World AIDS Day convention with a thirty-strong team on board.

On route they performed skits, held rallies, and engaged in discussions with local women and girls and village council leaders.

“Our skits show how unfair it is to throw people living with HIV out of their homes and jobs, or harass them. We also tell people to stop all kinds of violence against women from dowry deaths to female infanticide,” says Pradnya Shende of Centre for Youth Development and Activities (CYDA), an ActionAid partner organisation.

“I play the role of a sister, who tries to stop her drunken brother from killing his youngest baby daughter, the last in a line of five girls,” said 17-year-old Mandakini Nalavade of Tasgaon block, Sangli district.

The street plays tug at the hearts of onlookers. “After we perform in villages, women come and ask us about the Domestic Violence Act,” said Pradnya of CYDA. “Some of them suffer violence at homes and want to know how they can use the law to protect themselves.”

Violence not only hinders women’s access to information, treatment and care but also increases their vulnerability to the virus. Prevention methods frequently ignore the violence and lack of control many women experience around sex. Many women do not have the power to make their partners use condoms. 

Building women leaders

“Band kara band kara, mahila pe atyachar band kara (Stop it, stop it, stop violence against women),” the women chant in enthusiastic voices during the bus journey.

Slogans stress the importance of building women’s leadership to combat HIV/AIDS - a banner announces “This sky is ours, we are its leaders. We are spreading light against violence and stigma.”

Don’t they get tired moving from district to district? “If we get tired today, those who need awareness in rural areas will also get tired soon. Somebody needs to take initiative,” said Mandakini Nalavade.

Kamini Ranjit Kapadia, who leads ActionAid’s work in Maharashtra, underscores the value of promoting women leaders. “Village girls who hardly had a chance to come out of their homes before carried the bus forward, and what an impact it had!”

“In 2003 when we started awareness drives involving youth in Mumbai, I said we must also reach villages to tackle stigma and discrimination there. I think we are on the right path.”

Despite difficulties

The women, aged 14 to 29, are homemakers, students and even marketing executives. Some are ‘peer educators’ trained to spread awareness about how the HIV virus passes.

It was not easy to embark on the journey. Many faced stiff opposition.

“My brother and mother tried to deter me. They said ‘Help with household chores, study at home, why do you need to go out of your village?’” says 18-year-old Archana Rambhav Laadani, a first year BA student from Hathgaon village, Parbani district.

“There are three HIV positive men in my village. We often discuss health matters and how to maintain a good diet. But the rest of the village including their own families frown upon my interactions with them,” said Arachana.

“Many times I thought about giving up but my heart doesn’t allow me to stop this work. It feels good to be raising awareness and speaking out against violence and the stigma associated with HIV,” she adds.