Overview
Headquarters
NEW DELHI, New Delhi
Category
Equality is Inclusiveness
Sakshi, a capacity building organization, (regd. NGO, 1993) works for the practice of Everyday Equality. Sakshi aims to empower women, children, youth and marginalized groups by focusing on life skills, vocational skill building, responsible sexuality, equality education, diversity & inclusiveness, gender mainstreaming and developing skill sets for dialogue, negotiation, conflict resolution and transformational leadership. Our mission is to alter systemic responses to inequality through theatre and creative interventions that facilitate attitudinal change. For us the equality principle is the foundation upon which all human rights are built. Sakshi strives to create socially relevant communication through the medium of theatre, poetry, workshops and campaigns that strive to reach deep seated attitudes within cultural contexts in order to trigger social and behavioral change. The creative content is driven by Social Activist, Theatre Director and Writer, Smita Bharti who has decades of experience in the development sector and directed over 20 plays. She works extensively and intensively with women and adolescents in difficult situations, survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse and differently abled individuals. The creative production is headed by Natashja Rathore, an alumnus of the London Film School, a theatre person and filmmaker who is well versed with long and short formats, festivals and international markets and has a network of creative collaborators, ranging from actors, researchers, cinematographers, writers, production designers, sound design experts, music composers and directors spanning across 20 countries. Through mainstream theatre performances, Sakshi’s forte is to create a platform that invites a debate, a discussion, and a call for action around some of the most pressing social issues in the country. Sakshi has been the force behind the Vishakha Guidelines, the judge made law on Sexual Harassment at Workplace, has done substantial work on child sexual abuse, Sakshi vs union of India, and was part of the consultation for the sexual assault bill 2010 and the legislation on prevention, prohibition and redress of sexual harassment at workplace. Sakshi’s work has also led to the design of special procedures for women and children in sexual violence cases ( Sakshi vs Union of India) , creative resource development and a sustainable Asia Pacific Advisory Forum on Judicial Education on Equality Issues (“Forum”) since 1997. The partner countries include India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The model was selected as a BEST PRACTICE programme in 2001 by UNIFEM. It has also become a credible model for judicial education on human rights in emerging International Court. For communication directed towards social change to be empowering, horizontal, and give a voice to the previously unheard members of the community, it requires the individuals and communities to own the process and content of communication. It is an evidence based fact that emotions and intuition are more likely to influence attitudes and behaviors than the delivery of information alone. The emotional performance integrates multiple perspectives that highlight these issues. The research based approach that informs the content of the plays, addresses knowledge, attitudes & practices, and provides relevant information and motivation through well-defined strategies within the gripping and entertaining story line.
