About Mahila Jagaran Kendra 

Mahila Jagran Kendra (hence forth MJK) began as a women’s group in 1992, with a vision of empowering women to fight against various forms of violence in society.

The group was formally registered as an NGO in the year 1994. MJK primarily works with women and adolescent girls in 25 villages of Daniyawa block in Patna district. Some of the major activities of the organization over the past several years include organizing women and adolescent girls into groups at the village level and building their awareness around issues related to violence. 

The organization conducts training programmes and workshops to continuously expand women’s information base through their” Soochna Kendra’” (information centers) for a cluster of villages. Each village also has a “Mahila Jagaran Sanghathan” and a “Mahila Jagaran Kendra” (Women’s Resource Center) where women are encouraged to come and discuss various issues and more importantly a space for women to speak and share their problems and concerns. MJK runs non-formal adult education centers for women In villages and also works with adolescent girls through an organized forum such as “Kishori Sanghathan’s”.

The organization has been taking the lead in raising the issues relating to the women atrocities. The organization has done remarkable work relating to the Witch Craft Hunting in the various districts of Bihar, it has also its family counseling center running in various districts of Bihar, and moreover it is also working on the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 for providing speedy justice to the women facing domestic violence. The organization has also been running a campaign on ending violence against women, named as We Can Campaign. Recently, the organization has also been working for the proper implementation of the sexual harassment law (The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prohibition, Prevention and Redressal) Act, 2013.

Background of the Campaign against sexual harassment of women at workplace
According to the available data, Bihar and especially Patna is no less than any other state or any country in case of sexual harassment of women at workplace and other atrocities as well. It also haves a large number of such cases which occur endlessly, but most of them are unregistered and no data is available for accessing the number of such occurrences.

The condition of the working women in Bihar is even more pathetic. Even if such cases comes in lime light, the police administration and courts do not show their least interest in providing redressal to the victim. Rather, the victim is further victimized by them as well as the society. The government is also indifferent about the condition of women more specifically the working women. As, the government does not have any record relating to the cases of sexual harassment of women at workplace, it is difficult to get a clear idea about the situation. Even if the government is taking certain steps such as setting up the local complaint committee, it is not known to anyone. Thus, the impact of these steps are nil.

Therefore, the campaign has undertaken the responsibility as well as the challenge to curb sexual harassment of women at workplace.

Objective of the Signature Campaign

·         To make a safer work environment for the working women.

·         To strongly advocate with the government on this issue for implementation of the sexual harassment laws as well as to create a state law for prevention of sexual harassment of women at workplace.

·         To associate the common masses with the campaign as well.  

About the Signature Campaign

The Signature campaign is an initiative by Mahila Jagaran Kendra to raise the public opinion and voice over the issue of sexual harassment of women at workplace. The signature campaign is trying to link the common man with the campaign and voice their protest against the sexual harassment of women at workplace.

The signature campaign is mainly aimed at:

·         Better implementation of the sexual harassment laws on the workplace through formation of the healthier implementation policies by the government.

·         Formation of the state level sexual harassment laws (rules and regulations) by the state government.

Expected outcomes

·         Proper implementation of the sexual harassment laws on the workplace in the state of Bihar through healthier implementation policies by the government.

·         Passing of a state level sexual harassment laws (rules and regulations) by the state government. 

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