Sampada Grameen Mahila Sanstha (SANGRAM)
SANGRAM, established in 1992 in Sangli, Maharashtra, has grown into a series of collective empowerment groups for stigmatized communities (sex workers, MSM, and transgender individuals) in six districts of southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. SANGRAM is unique in being a women-led, rights-based group that seeks to change community norms and tackle gender inequities at the grassroots level. These inequities include gender-based violence (GBV), access to resources, and rights in terms of protection, property, and power. SANGRAM also works at a deeper level by addressing male norms.
SANGRAM is a registered nonprofit organization. SANGRAM’s primary focus is working with marginalized groups to prevent GBV and HIV and to provide care and support for group members who are in need. The nongovernmental organization’s (NGO’s) activities build on the concept of asserting rights and the core tenet that communities have the ability to find their own solutions. Central SANGRAM principles include,
1) involving community members in program design, implementation, and leadership
2) creating a sense of community to facilitate collaboration
3) working to eliminate the stigma and discrimination associated with sex work.
Our Mission
People should believe that they can change things. It is not about a few activists fighting for other people’s rights. Anybody who has imbibed this understanding should be able to go and fight for their rights.
