Violence Free Village - A Vision Rooted in Dignity and Justice
Safe Odisha For Her’s "Violence-Free Village" campaign is a bold, community-led initiative aiming to transform villages into spaces free from gender-based violence and systemic exclusion. Beginning with Borbhata village in Damkarlakhunta Gram Panchayat of Kalahandi district, the campaign focuses on building safety from the ground up—starting with the family, expanding to the village, and reaching the Panchayat level. The initiative is guided by local women leaders, including fellows from SOFH’s Baula Fellowship, and co-created with residents through art, research, and dialogue. With eight categories of violence defined—physical, sexual, emotional, economic, digital, institutional, climate-related, and socio-cultural—the campaign recognizes that true safety extends beyond protection from harm to ensuring dignity, access, and equality.
Through capacity-building, gender awareness programs, baseline mapping, and partnerships with local institutions, the campaign seeks to empower communities to prevent violence, support survivors, and reimagine justice. From addressing domestic violence and school dropouts to reducing caste discrimination and digital exclusion, the programme connects grassroots realities with structural change.
