In UP, as part of
Sahajani Shiksha Kendra, building an understanding on violence against women and providing support to survivors of domestic violence have been important aspects of our work. Human rights violations have also been highlighted by
Khabar Lahariya. Along with other women’s groups across the country, Nirantar has been highlighting violations of women’s rights through joint petitions, lobbying with the State, and so on. We have also produced
parchas, playscripts, posters, songs, etc.
Nirantar has been deeply engaged in raising issues related to the rights of same sex desiring people, including those who identify as lesbian, bisexual and gay, as well as transgender people in various fora. We are an active part of Voices Against 377, a Delhi-based coalition against Section 377, a law used to criminalise homosexual activity. We have also engaged with campaigns and events protesting communal violence and the rise of fundamentalism. Over the years, Nirantar has participated in and lent support to progressive groups and movements such as the Narmada Bachao Andolan (a campaign against the construction of big dams), and other campaigns for peace and human rights.
As an organisation working on issues of education, Nirantar has sought to highlight the intersections between education and forces of patriarchy, fundamentalism and compulsory heterosexuality. We have attempted to do this in different ways - by creating simply-written material that seeks to analyse and challenge these forces, in the manner we (re)write school textbooks and in interventions as part of policy-level fora.
