Garima: Rule of Law and Reproductive Health in India

With a mission of empowering Indian women to take charge of their safety and health, Counterpart International (Counterpart) has launched the Garima Program – meaning "dignity" in Hindi – its first associate award under the USAID-funded Global Civil Society Strengthening Leader with Associates (LWA). Counterpart and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) are co-implementing this 18-month program in the Rajasthan and New Delhi areas of northwestern India. The project builds upon the successes, lessons and local partnerships developed by IFES under the USAID-funded Women's Legal Rights Initiative (WLRI).

India, home to almost 500 million women, ranks 128th in the United Nations Development Programme's 2007-2008 Gender-related Development Index. Every third woman in India faces domestic violence at some point in her life ranging from pre-birth elimination of girls, dowry harassment and deaths, sexual harassment in work and public spaces, domestic violence and rape. While the Government of India has promulgated many laws to protect women's rights, the application of these laws has been weak; there is a large gap between policy and practice. Patriarchal attitudes towards women are deeply ingrained across Indian society – among government officials, legislators, judiciary, health care providers, law enforcement agencies, community leaders and the media.

Garima program's goal is to provide institutional support to Indian government agencies and community-based organizations to further strengthen Indian women's ability to proactively fight against gender-based violence; support women's ability to address reproductive health issues more effectively; and to increase women's access to and information about the justice system. These goals are addresses in the following programmatic objectives:

• Strengthen the ability of civil society and community groups to advocate for improved implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, the Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Technique Act, and the Prevention of Child Marriage Act.
• Influence existing governance and service structures to institutionalize good practices that promote the dignity of girls and women and increase their access to justice and development resources.
• Build capacities of key justice and health service providers to respond to gender-based violence.

The program aims to achieve the highest level of impacts by scaling up proven methodologies and techniques in promoting women's rights – particularly as it concerns preventing gender-based violence, promoting reproductive health and increasing the dignity of the girl child. The Counterpart and IFES approach hinges on working with and through trusted local Civil Society Organization (CSO) partners with the mandate, ability and skill to promote women's rights issues.

Garima supports its partner organization, Women Power Connect, in advocating regionally and nationally for the proper enforcement of laws protecting women's rights.

Garima also works with community groups focusing on Muslim and non-Muslim women, youth, boys and men to increase their awareness of these laws. This includes continuing the innovative work of the IFES Muslim Women's Initiative (MWI), which increases Muslim women's awareness and knowledge of their rights and responsibilities; the Dignity of the Girl Child (DGC) program, which works to decrease and prevent female feticide; and youth forums against gender based violence.

In addition, Garima facilitates greater access to referral services for women and partner with key health and justice providers in responding to gender based violence.