The Centre Tappal’s Women Built for Themselves

In Tappal, violence against women is not an occasional headline. It is widespread. The block, in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district, has a deeply entrenched patriarchal culture. There are only 934 women for every 1,000 men, and just 41.07 per cent of women can read and write. For a woman facing abuse here, there have been few places to turn.

The silence began to break inside women’s own institutions. In meetings of community-based organisations (CBOs), the self-help groups and federations that women in Tappal run, members kept raising cases of violence. The cases were too many to ignore. A research study followed, and its findings confirmed what the women had been saying: gender-based violence was a serious problem.

The CBO leaders understood that dealing with one incident at a time would not be enough. Ending violence meant changing the beliefs and social norms that allowed it, and opening up equal opportunities for women across social, economic and political life. So they decided to build something of their own.

With the support and guidance of the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM), they set up the Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK), a Gender Resource Centre for the block. Transform Rural India (TRI) supported UPSRLM in building the centre. The MSK works as both a platform for advocacy and a place where women can seek support.

The centre is run by women, for women. It is operated and managed by the Jeevan Jyoti Cluster Level Federation (CLF), which serves as the nodal federation. Its steering committee draws members from all four CLFs in Tappal and from the Social Action Committee, so every part of the block has a voice in how it works.

Before the centre could change attitudes in the community, it had to build understanding within its own network. TRI works alongside the women on this, building their capacity and equipping them with the information and knowledge they need to lead. A two-day orientation on gender concepts was held for 90 Village Organisations, building the capacity of more than 750 CBO leaders across every gram panchayat in Tappal. These women can now carry that understanding back to their villages.

For women who walk through its doors, particularly those from marginalised communities, the MSK offers a safe space. Here they can learn about and claim their entitlements, find livelihood opportunities and connect with skilling and employment programmes. The centre’s work goes beyond responding to violence. By helping women take part in entrepreneurship and economic activity, it builds the independence that gives them more control over their own lives. Throughout, the approach puts the community first.

The next step is to connect the centre more firmly with the public systems women need when they face violence or injustice. The Jeevan Jyoti CLF is now strengthening links between the MSK and the Women and Child Development department, the police and the Legal Services Authority. The aim is that every woman in Tappal can reach the services she is entitled to and live with equity, dignity and justice.

In a block where women’s voices were long ignored, they have built a place where they are heard.