A lively, cross-continental discussion was held on June 1st this year, by newly formed India's Daughters, an NGO based in Cambridge and founded by Geeta Aiyer. The event, held at MIT, discussed sexual violence against women in India with experienced activists and social workers from the United States and India as speakers.
 
The meeting aimed to define a multi-faceted response to the issue of rape and sexual violence. In particular, the discussion focused on two aspects: (1) Providing immediate assistance to survivors and (2) Changing public attitudes, in particular of the community that is around and of men and boys, through education.
 
The first topic was addressed by a panel of presenters from the US and India:  Carole Sher, Program Coordinator for the Rape Crisis Intervention Program affiliated with the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, Shira Rubenstein, a rape crisis volunteer with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center outlined their approaches and experiences. Sangeeta Rege, a social worker affiliated with the Centre for Enquiry Into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT) in Mumbai, shared her insights into the particular challenges faced by survivors of sexual assault in the Indian context. A number of nuanced insights emerged from this discussion. For instance, at present, Indian police and medical workers are required to officially report instances of rape they encounter, a practice that often deters survivors from coming forward, given the additional trauma and potential lack of privacy involved. The two sides discussed what lessons could be learnt from programs in the U.S., which tend to emphasize the provision of emotional support and long-term counseling to survivors, in addition to medical and legal assistance.

The second topic was addressed primarily by Rujuta Teredesai of the Equal Community Foundation (ECF), an NGO based in Pune and founded by Will Muir. ECF is focused on changing attitudes at the grassroots level by educating young men, typically teenagers, to report instances of sexual assault and dealing with this problem within their communities.

The moderator for the event was Sujata Warrier, Director of the New York City Program for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. Sujata's cheerful, matter-of-fact commentary and global experience helped enrich the discussion enormously. Ranjana Kumari, Director of the Center for Social Research in New Delhi provided context about public initiatives in India via telephone.  The audience participated by asking questions, adding insights and suggestions.

The group wrapped up the discussion by identifying 3 follow up areas of focus  and work:

1.   To bring a working team from India and USA together to identify US practices and insights as well as materials that could potentially be adapted for application in the Indian context.

2.   To work on issue of prevention through education mainly with young men as a fundamental step in addressing the issue of sexual violence against women.

3.   To develop media sensitivity through public interest advertising and other efforts to change cultural attitudes.
   
While the topic of addressing sexual violence in India can seem overwhelming and complex, it is worth noting that this is not an "Indian problem". Societies such as the U.S. that have moved further along in tackling this issue have done so after long, hard-fought battles that addressed attitudes similar to those present in India today.

Yet it is worth examining the process through which today's American safeguards were established, as well as the current practices with regard to survivor treatment or community education, to assess whether these can be adapted for use in an Indian context. Similarly, many of the novel (if fragmented) approaches being set up across India today, such as the "Bell Bajao" campaign, may have applications in other regions. Finally, if the public response to the Delhi gang rape last winter underscored anything, it is that the ultimate solution will likely emanate from the efforts of ordinary, concerned citizens.

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