Partners

The Bachada community is predominantly spread across approximately 68 villages in Ratlam, Neemuch, and Mandsaur districts, and the Bediya community is across 28 villages in Guna, Ashoknagar, and Sagar districts. These communities traditionally push young and underage girls into sex work, relying on their income to support their families. Women involved in prostitution face many challenges, and children born to sex workers face identity issues, making it difficult for them to gain admission to schools. Even if they are enrolled in schools, they face discrimination from other children and teachers and struggle to mingle with others. This profession has the sanction of the community and caste-panchayats and this practice leads to low enrollment of girls in schools or dropping out at a young age, often before reaching the eighth grade.

Advocate Akash Chouhan, who belongs to the Bachada community, founded this organization specifically to prevent the trafficking of minor girls. Jan Shourya is committed to rescuing and rehabilitating these girls and women through a holistic approach that addresses their immediate and long-term needs. They collaborate with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to rescue minors and take legal action against those who promote these practices, including caste panchayats. Through these actions, they have created a deterrent effect within the community. In addition to rescue operations, Jan Shourya provides rehabilitation services, including education, career guidance, and mental health support. They assist community members in accessing necessary documents to benefit from government schemes and rights. Regular dialogues with stakeholders such as the police, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) ensure systemic support and feedback for their efforts.

Project with MHI:

In collaboration with MHI, Jan Shourya aims to address the root causes of traditional practices that push minor girls into sex work. The focus is on prevention, rescue, and rehabilitation, working at multiple levels. This project is expected to cover areas in Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, and New Ashok Nagar districts, focusing on 5 villages with the highest concentration of women and girls from these communities.

The organization has established 'Dignity Centers' where volunteers from the same community engage the youth in educational and recreational activities after school, raise awareness about their rights, and motivate them toward education and careers. They also provide parental counselling and facilitate admissions to residential hostels-cum-schools to ensure that children continue their education instead of being pushed into sex work.

In addition to preventive measures, the project will focus on the needs of those already involved in sex work. Recognizing the high incidence of HIV and significant mental health issues such as depression, loneliness, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and substance use among sex workers, Jan Shourya will provide counselling and psychosocial support to address the needs of women, families and communities.