In February 2009 a DCA team visited several of these organisations: The Rajsamand Women's Forum, The Family Concelling Centre in Rajsamand and The Association of Stong Women Alone. These organisations all take up women's issues and fight for women's rights in Southern Rajasthan, which is overall a traditional society dominated by men.
There is a lot of domestic violence in India, but even after the husband dies, many widows continue to be the victims of violence and social ostracism, 'because they do not have any males to protect them' (as the saying goes).
The single women also need help to get access to government schemes and support, such as widow penion, below powerty line card (and thus access to subsidised cereals), job cards in the work schemes (NREGA) etc.
The women's organisations also campaign against oppressive traditions, like child marriage, dowry, and accusations of being witches.
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