Manavi - An Organization for South Asian Women
Encyclopedia
Manavi was originally formed by six South Asian women: Shamita Das Dasgupta
, Radha Sarma Hegde, Shashi Jain, Rashmi Jaipal, Vibha Jha, and Kavery Dutta
, as a consciousness raising group interested in addressing concerns faced by South Asian women in the U.S. In a short period of time, this New Jersey based organization expanded its goals in response to requests from the community to begin providing services to women facing violence and abuse.
) was the first organization in the U.S to specifically address the needs of South Asian
women, who are victims of violence
. Although started as a consciousness-raising group, Manavi's founders soon realized that South Asian women facing abuse were unable to seek help from local authorities and mainstream organizations for variety of reasons. These reasons could be attributed to cultural, lingual and immigration
barriers, among others.
Since Manavi came to existence, many other South Asian organizations for women have been formed in the U.S along the lines of Manavi. Today, Manavi continues to be a pioneer by championing new strategies for advancing the South Asian women's movement in the U.S and by constantly adapting its service provision to the changing needs of South Asian women living in the U.S.
While providing direct service to South Asian women in need, Manavi is also a social change
agent within the South Asian community. In addition, it is a cultural competency
educator and diversity trainer in the mainstream movement to end violence against women
in the U.S. In short, Manavi simultaneously addresses both the immediate needs of women facing abuse and the long-term vision of establishing peaceful communities free from gender-based violence.
2. The Pluralism Project at Harvard University - http://pluralism.org/research/profiles/display.php?profile=74037
Shamita Das Dasgupta
Shamita Das Dasgupta is an Asian Indian scholar, activist, wife and mother. A social activist since early 1970s, she co-founded Manavi in 1985. It is the first organization of its kind that focuses on violence against South Asian women in the United States...
, Radha Sarma Hegde, Shashi Jain, Rashmi Jaipal, Vibha Jha, and Kavery Dutta
Kaveri Kaul
Kavery Kaul is an American independent film director and teacher, born in India and brought up in the United States. She started her directing career with First Look, the winner of the Best Cultural Film Award at the Festival of New Latin American Cinema...
, as a consciousness raising group interested in addressing concerns faced by South Asian women in the U.S. In a short period of time, this New Jersey based organization expanded its goals in response to requests from the community to begin providing services to women facing violence and abuse.
Overview
Founded in 1985, Manavi (meaning 'primal woman' in SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
) was the first organization in the U.S to specifically address the needs of South Asian
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
women, who are victims of violence
Violence against women
Violence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women...
. Although started as a consciousness-raising group, Manavi's founders soon realized that South Asian women facing abuse were unable to seek help from local authorities and mainstream organizations for variety of reasons. These reasons could be attributed to cultural, lingual and immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
barriers, among others.
Since Manavi came to existence, many other South Asian organizations for women have been formed in the U.S along the lines of Manavi. Today, Manavi continues to be a pioneer by championing new strategies for advancing the South Asian women's movement in the U.S and by constantly adapting its service provision to the changing needs of South Asian women living in the U.S.
While providing direct service to South Asian women in need, Manavi is also a social change
Social change
Social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. It may refer to the notion of social progress or sociocultural evolution, the philosophical idea that society moves forward by dialectical or evolutionary means. It may refer to a paradigmatic change in the socio-economic...
agent within the South Asian community. In addition, it is a cultural competency
Cultural competence
Cultural competence refers to an ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures, particularly in the context of human resources, non-profit organizations, and government agencies whose employees work with persons from different cultural/ethnic backgrounds.Cultural competence...
educator and diversity trainer in the mainstream movement to end violence against women
Violence against women
Violence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women...
in the U.S. In short, Manavi simultaneously addresses both the immediate needs of women facing abuse and the long-term vision of establishing peaceful communities free from gender-based violence.
External links
1. Manavi Website - http://www.manavi.org2. The Pluralism Project at Harvard University - http://pluralism.org/research/profiles/display.php?profile=74037