beginning the search for help

Sisters Jacqueline, Urmila, Olutosin, Stella, Sapna, Upasana, Mukut, Sharontina, Kotravai and others who want to be involved in starting change to end violence toward women/girls in India, Greetings and love to each.

Since my last post about the brutal and deadly rape of an Indian women in December of 2012, I have read many articles written by men in India (one article written by Arundhati Roy) about this subject and have come to the conclusion that the problem that must be addressed is a "men's issue," not a women's issue. Part of what I have concluded is that the only permanent way to end violence toward women is to change attitudes of men. When asked whether there is some chance that these huge protests are going to ring in some genuine change, Arundhati Roy wrote,"I think it will lead to some new laws perhaps, an increased surveilance, but all of that will protect middle class women (only)...What do you do when the police themselves burn down villages, gang-rape women? I have personally listened to so many testimonies of women to whom this has been done...While stating that the army and the police routinely use rape as a weapon against people in places like Chhattisgarh, Kashmir and Manipur and gaining impunity behind laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act. More dangerous is the widening gap between the rich and the poor (in India)."

I believe our initial focus must be with organizations that exist to benefit Indian men. Somehow, someone needs to teach male children, like under the age of 10, that violence toward females in NOT acceptable. Presently boys watch their fathers beat their mothers and sisters and must assuem that it is the thing to do, because noone stops it.

On June 14th I invited 9 men from World Pulse's group, Through His Eyes to join this group and discussion. To date I haven't received any responses.

Other organizations I have located through a Google search of Organizations working to end violence toward women (7 are Indian organizations): UN, Commission of the status of women; Amnesty International, OXFAM Internationsl; World Pulse; Avon Foundation; Crises Intervention.org(Indian); Jasmine Whitbread, 1 Billion Rising; Forcechange.com; AVAAZ.org; Anuradha Gupta, Director India National Rurah; Ideas.time.com; men for gender justice@gmail.com.

Please share your thoughts with this group.
William