In 2020 India’s female population was around 66.2 crore, growing at an average annual rate of 1.82%. With such an enormous population of women in India, growing at a rapid pace every day, it is essential to ensure that they are treated as equals and dignified members of our society. But unfortunately, the chances of all round gender equality across India and lower crimes rates against women, seem heartbreakingly bleak. Violence against women in India increases on an hourly bases and hinders educational opportunities, growth, mental and physical well-being of thousands of women across the country. The COVID-19 crisis has completely exposed the flaws in India’s so called gender equality, with a paramount increase in acts of domestic violence, during the government mandated lockdown in 2020.
For T.E.S.F women protection, empowerment and ensuring their mental, physical and intellectual development is crucial. Our women’s centre, “Jia Nari Niketan'', has been created in order to provide a helping hand in rebuilding the lives of thousands of deprived and abandoned women. Many women that were rescued by our shelter were victims of; extreme acts of violence, rape, sexual, physical and emotional assault to incidents of acid attacks, abandonment and harassment. These unfortunate and inhumane incidents lead to a tremendous amount of trauma leading to some women developing various mental illnesses. Victims of physical emotional and sexual harassment and assault suffer significant psychological effects, including anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, lowered self-esteem and sexual dysfunction. In order to heal these physical and emotional wounds, women at our shelter are provided with counselling sessions, where they can openly discuss their emotional troubles and mental battles.
Sita Devi, a 28 year old woman who was surviving on the streets under horrible and inhumane living conditions, was rescued by T.E.S.F. Her story was one that left a huge hole in our hearts, since the minute she arrived, the scars of ill-treatment and abuse on her body and mind were completely unavoidable and unforgettable. More than half of her body had suffered severe burns, due to an accident her legs were in a critical condition, while living on the streets she had been abused, tortured, raped, and exploited by countless unidentified people. Due to a brutal beating caused by a man who had, with excessive force, punched her on the jaw, she lost 3 upper and 4 lower teeth. Unfortunately, due to many years of mental, physical and emotional torture, Sita Devi developed a series of severe mental illnesses. When T.E.S.F was informed about her horrible state, she was immediately rescued and after years of being mistreated was finally given medical attention, a bed to sleep in and 3 essential meals a day. Eventually Sita Devi underwent surgery for her legs, which we are happy to inform went successfully and has resulted in her learning how to walk on her own. If you come across any financially or socially deprived women in your area, please contact us immediately.
We at T.E.S.F offer free of cost facilities to our women residents, these include:
- Sanitised accommodations
- 3 nutritional meals a day
- medical and rehabilitation treatments.
- Psychological counselling
- Physiotherapy
- Cosmetics, haircare and skincare products,
- Some women residing in our shelter are eventually able to rebuild themselves and are offered job opportunities at the Gurukul center.
Besides this, we at T.E.S.F also provide moral and emotional support to our women residents, by preparing them for their future life. We guide them towards building better financial opportunities for themselves and lead them towards a path of ensuring development of the self and a promising and enriching life ahead.
The sole purpose of our women’s shelter is to empower women, allow them to be free of any kind of violence or discrimination and one day become equal members in the Indian society. Donate-Now to our women’s shelter, where we work immensely hard to build a safe space for every deprived woman that walks through our doors.
