As residents of Delhi-NCR, Shrey, Zoya and Priyanshi were often exposed to news about frequent incidents of crime against women. Upon discussions with lawyers and elders, they realized that the underlying cause lay in the social and familial mindset which puts women at a disadvantage. When daughters are treated as subservient to the sons of the family in their parental homes, it translates into a lifetime of bias and indignity. Men too grow up feeling entitled to superiority which is the main cause of their insensitivity towards women. The issue of gender equality can never be genuinely addressed without financial equality and dignity from birth itself.
The best way to counter this situation is to give daughters equal financial rights in their parental homes. When men grow up with the understanding that their sisters have the same rights as they have- it will definitely help change the mind set. This will also eventually prove to be a catalyst in destroying the practice of dowry. Also, women will be financially empowered- specially in the case of single women or widows. Both men and women should be made financially independent as well as financially entitled- just financial independence is inadequate to address the issue of gender inequality. So many educated and financially independent women endure domestic violence and ill-treatment in the absence of rightful financial entitlement and security.
This was the foundational thought that guided the creation of the People Power Partnership project.
The scale of the project seemed challenging at first. During their meetings with various NGOs and Lawyers, the students shared the working methodology and vision for the project and their genuinity and commitment to the cause. Esteemed people like Mrs Kamla Bhasin and Adv Savita Sinha lauded and supported their vision, and they received a lot of encouragement from all stakeholders and citizens-specially women.
People Power Partnership evolved as a student driven platform . This is a website that aims to link NGOs and women in need of legal advice/support formatters related to parental property rights with experts/practitioners of law. The intent is to make legal advice and resources easily accessible to women with help from credible NGOs and lawyers. Presently, some of the associates include Sangat, Girls Count, Sofia, Adv Saumya Bhawmik, Adv Mohd Amanullah, Adv Sabina, Justice Prem Agarwal, Adv. Savita Sinha and Video Volunteers.
Sangat, a feminist network dedicated to promoting justice, equality, and peace through trainings, collaborative campaigns, and outreach initiatives, explains that “Women’s property rights is an issue that requires urgent attention, with research from Kerala, India, even suggesting that women who own immovable property face a significantly lower risk of marital violence. This project is a much-needed effort to make the legal road to equal property rights an easier and more accessible one for women. It does the important task of connecting women who require legal support to secure their property rights with lawyers equipped to handle such cases.”