Gender

Gender equality is at the heart of JKAWS's mission. We create safe spaces, and challenge harmful practices to build inclusive communities.

Overview

JKASW’s gender empowerment program challenges deeply entrenched gender inequalities and creates opportunities for girls and women to thrive as equal participants in society. Through Adolescent Girls Resource Centers (AGRCs), youth fellowship programs, and gender-based violence prevention initiatives, the program addresses multiple dimensions of gender discrimination while building leadership, agency, and voice among girls and women. The initiative recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to sustainable development and works at individual, family, community, and systemic levels to transform gender relations.

Goal

To create gender-equal communities where girls and women enjoy equal rights, opportunities, and voice while being free from discrimination, violence, and harmful practices.

Objectives

  • Establish safe, supportive spaces where adolescent girls can develop life skills, confidence, and leadership
  • Address harmful gender norms and practices including child marriage, discrimination in education, and son preference
  • Provide comprehensive mental health and psychosocial support addressing gender-specific vulnerabilities
  • Build awareness about gender-based violence and establish support systems for survivors
  • Enhance girls’ access to education, health services, nutrition, and government schemes
  • Promote positive masculinity and engage boys and men as allies in gender equality
  • Strengthen institutional mechanisms addressing gender discrimination in schools and communities
  • Advocate with decision-makers for gender-responsive policies and programs.

Achievements

  • Established 21 Adolescent Girls Resource Centers (AGRCs) across Bandipora district reaching 2103 enrolled girls
  • Conducted 5,440 development sessions covering life skills, emotional well-being, gender justice, health, nutrition, and rights awareness
  • Provided 1,929 counseling sessions and 582 psycho-education sessions addressing mental health concerns specific to adolescent girls
  • Reached 3,322 parents through 674 parental meetings transforming attitudes toward girl children and gender equality
  • Trained 115 frontline workers on adolescent issues, gender sensitivity, and mental health support
  • Mobilized 8.4+ million in government scheme linkages including 86 Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) accounts for girls’ education
  • Conducted 577 medical screenings with 143 specialist referrals addressing adolescent health needs
  • Set up 23 grievance redressal mechanisms in schools providing safe channels to report gender-based harassment
  • Sensitized over 3,800 adolescents on gender-based violence prevention and online safety
  • Achieved transformed community mindsets with parents expressing pride in daughters’ achievements and commitment to equal treatment.

Key Programs Under Gender

Overview

Adolescent Girls Resource Centers (AGRCs) are dedicated safe spaces exclusively for adolescent girls from marginalized communities. These centers provide comprehensive support covering life skills development, emotional well-being, health and nutrition, education, leadership, and social security linkages. Operating through the “Koor Cha Noor” (Girl is Light) project supported by Azim Premji Foundation. AGRCs have become transformative spaces where girls discover their potential, build confidence, and challenge limiting gender norms.

Goal

To empower every adolescent girl in intervention areas with skills, confidence, and support systems enabling them to make informed choices about their lives, pursue education and careers, and participate fully in family and community decisions.

Objectives

  • Establish and operate well-structured AGRCs with age-appropriate programming across intervention villages
  • Deliver comprehensive life skills education covering communication, critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and leadership
  • Provide mental health and psychosocial support through counseling, psycho-education, and peer support
  • Address health and nutrition vulnerabilities through awareness sessions, screenings, and kitchen garden initiatives
  • Link girls and families to government schemes including education scholarships, health insurance, and savings programs
  • Transform parental and community attitudes toward adolescent girls through sustained engagement
  • Create platforms for girls’ participation in community decision-making and advocacy
  • Establish school-based mechanisms addressing gender discrimination and harassment.

Achievements

  • Established and strengthened 21 AGRCs reaching 2013  adolescent girls across 21 villages
  • Delivered 5,440 structured sessions covering comprehensive life skills, emotional well-being, health, nutrition, gender justice, and rights
  • Provided 1,929 individual counseling sessions and 582 psycho-education workshops addressing mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, and trauma
  • Successfully referred 71 adolescents to District Mental Health Programs (DMHP) for specialized care with 13 requiring intensive secondary support
  • Conducted 674 parental meetings engaging 3,322 parents transforming attitudes with parents.
  • Linked 546 families to government schemes mobilizing ₹8.4 million in benefits including education scholarships, pensions, health insurance, and nutrition support
  • Opened 86 Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) accounts securing girls’ educational and marriage futures
  • Supported 32 Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) through Mission Vatsalya linkages
  • Conducted 577 medical and nutritional screenings with 143 specialist referrals addressing adolescent health concerns including PCOS, anemia, and malnutrition
  • Established 20 kitchen gardens in girls’ homes promoting nutrition security, environmental awareness, and girls’ decision-making role
  • Set up 23 grievance redressal cells in schools providing safe mechanisms to report gender-based harassment and discrimination

Trained 64 VLCPC members on adolescent issues and gender-sensitive child protection enhancing community protection systems

Overview

The V-YES Fellowship program represents JKASW’s commitment to empowering tomorrow’s change-makers today. This transformative leadership initiative cultivates young, dynamic women aged 22-27 years as community catalysts, group champions, trust ambassadors, stakeholder connectors, and impact trackers. Fellows serve as frontline facilitators at Adolescent Girls Resource Centers (AGRCs), Child Friendly Spaces, and community platforms, conducting structured sessions on gender rights and equality, sexual and reproductive health, menstrual hygiene, legal literacy, government schemes and entitlements, leadership development, climate change, and girl child education. Through comprehensive capacity building, mentorship, and practical field experience, V-YES fellows gain professional skills while driving meaningful social change in their communities.

Goal

To develop a cadre of skilled, confident young women leaders who serve as agents of empowerment and social transformation, promoting gender equality, child protection, and community development in Jammu and Kashmir.

Objectives

  • Build a network of trained young women volunteers from intervention communities in facilitation, child protection, gender sensitivity, and community mobilization
  • Build leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills through experiential learning
  • Create opportunities for young women’s civic engagement, community service, and professional development in the social sector
  • Establish sustainable changemaker’s networks that continue advocacy beyond program timelines
  • Recognize and celebrate volunteer contributions promoting volunteerism culture

 

Overview

The Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response program addresses the pervasive issue of violence against women and girls including domestic violence, sexual harassment, child marriage, and online abuse. Through awareness generation, community mobilization, survivor support, and institutional strengthening, the program works to prevent GBV while ensuring effective response when violence occurs. The initiative recognizes that GBV is rooted in unequal power relations and gender discrimination requiring transformation at multiple levels.

Goal

To create safe communities where women and girls live free from violence, where harmful practices are eliminated, and where survivors receive comprehensive, stigma-free support.

Objectives

  • Build comprehensive awareness about different forms of GBV, their causes, and prevention strategies
  • Engage men and boys as allies in preventing violence and promoting gender equality
  • Provide psychosocial support, legal assistance, and safety planning for GBV survivors
  • Strengthen community mechanisms including VLCPCs to identify and respond to GBV cases
  • Establish clear referral pathways connecting survivors to police, One Stop Centers, medical services, and legal aid
  • Address social norms that tolerate or justify violence against women and girls
  • Advocate for effective implementation of protective legislation and policies
  • Prevent child marriage through community mobilization and support to vulnerable girls.

Achievements

  • Conducted comprehensive GBV awareness sessions through AGRCs, CFS/ARCs, and schools reaching over 7,800 adolescents (3,876 in Pulwama, 3,955 in 2022-23)
  • Achieved 50% knowledge increase on GBV prevention, help-seeking, and bystander intervention among participating adolescents
  • Integrated online safety and cyber security modules reaching 4,456 adolescents preventing online harassment and abuse
  • Successfully prevented 16 child marriages through community mobilization, family counseling, and support to vulnerable girls
  • Provided comprehensive support to GBV survivors including counseling, medical referrals, police assistance, and legal aid through established pathways
  • Trained VLCPCs and frontline workers on gender-sensitive response to GBV cases ensuring survivor-centered approaches
  • Established 23 school-based grievance redressal mechanisms providing safe channels for girls to report harassment and discrimination
  • Conducted intergenerational dialogues bringing girls, parents, and community leaders together to address gender-based violence and discrimination
  • Facilitated male engagement sessions promoting positive masculinity and men’s role in preventing violence against women