HOW DO WE GET THERE?
Implement thematic advocacy campaigns
Create resource materials for the media and the public
Organize public events such as film showings, plays and seminars
Participate in coalition-based advocacy

The Know Your Rights and Resources Campaign (U.S.A.) was launched in 2004 and since then, has set out to inform South Asian immigrant women of their rights and resources in the United States. Often women immigrate to the United States without knowing what rights they have, especially with regard to domestic violence, employment opportunities, healthcare, and safety. Nor do they know of the organizations that they can go to for help once in the United States. Through this campaign, CREA seeks to provide South Asian women with accessible print information in English and other local languages on immigrant women’s rights in the United States and contact information of organizations specifically working on these issues with South Asian communities.

Know Your Rights: Domestic Violence in the United States - A Resource for South Asian Women
CREA, in collaboration with Narika and Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach and with support from the Family Violence Prevention Fund, developed this booklet to bring forward information for immigrant women facing domestic violence. This booklet explains the concept of domestic violence in simple terms, and informs readers about: how to recognize abuse; actions that can be taken if they or someone they know are being abused; and available legal aid, shelter and counseling services.

This booklet is available in English, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi and Urdu.
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The Little Book of Tips and Tricks: A Guide for South Asian Women
CREA, in collaboration with Apna Ghar, Daya Inc., Narika, Sakhi for South Asian Women and Raksha Inc. developed this general manual offering a abroad overview of women’s rights and available resources in the U.S.A. Immigrant women can use this manual to learn about their rights as women and as immigrants, about the resources and services available to them, and to find contact information for South Asian women's and domestic violence groups in their local areas. This publication is available in English and Hindi.
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VOICES AGAINST 377

Voices Against 377 is a Delhi-based coalition of groups working on women’s rights, child rights, human rights, sexual rights and the rights of same-sex desiring people. CREA is a member of this coalition. The fight against Section 377 is an issue of social justice affecting everyone, irrespective of gender or sexual orientation. This coalition aims to raise awareness about the violation of people’s fundamental rights and specifically, the marginalization and criminalization of same-sex desiring people, including gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual communities enabled by this law.
To join the coalition, email your request to voicesagainst377@rediffmail.com  
To know more about the coalition, visit www.voicesagainst377.org

Rights for All: Ending Discrimination against Queer Desire under Section 377
Voices Against 377 has brought out a report, entitled Rights for All: Ending Discrimination against Queer Desire Under Section 377. The report focuses on the marginalization of same sex desire as seen from different perspectives – feminist, queer and rights based.
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THE INTER SOUTH DIALOGUE

The Inter South Dialogue is an effort to link the discourses on sexual rights and reproductive rights between organizations working in Latin America and South Asia. In February 2005, CREA, INFORM, MASUM, North East Network, SAMA and TARSHI organized a meeting called South-South Movement Building - Strategic Dialogue on Reproductive and Sexual Rights. This meeting brought participants from Chile, Peru, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India together to initiate conversations, discuss strategies and build alliances on issues of sexual and reproductive rights. Inter South Dialogues is a report that documents the discussions from this consultation.
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As part of this Dialogue, a working paper on Sexual Rights and Social Movements is being developed. This paper attempts to explore the emerging discourse on sexual rights in India and examines the ways in which movements and organizations have used the articulation of sexual rights within their work.

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ACTION PLUS: A COALITION FOR RIGHTS, EDUCATION AND CARE IN HIV/AIDS

Fifteen NGOs working on issues related to HIV/AIDS in India came together in 1997 to share skills, experiences and learning to become an effective national capacity building and advocacy forum. CREA has been a member of Action Plus since 2000.

ACTION PLUS MEMBERS
Centre for Development Initiatives (CDI), Mumbai
Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore - www.cmch-vellore.edu
Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA), New Delhi - www.creaworld.org
International Services Association, India (INSA), Bangalore - www.insa_india.org.in
Nalamdana, Chennai - www.nalamdana.org
Point of View (POV), Mumbai - www.pointofview.org
PRAYAS, Pune - www.prayaspune.org
Sampada Grameen Mahila Sanstha (SANGRAM), Sangli - www.sangram.org
The Naz Foundation (India) Trust (Naz), New Delhi - www.nazindia.org
The Service of Society Medical and Educational Foundation (SOS), Nasik
Talking about Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues (TARSHI), New Delhi - www.tarshi.net
Tata Institute for the Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai - www.tiss.edu
Veshya Anyay Mukti Parishad (VAMP), Sangli
YR Gaitonde Medical, Educational and research Foundation (YRG CARE) - www.yrgcare.org

People’s Panchayat on Resisting Stigma and Discrimination
In April of 2004, Action Plus organized a People’s Panchayat on resisting stigma and discrimination in New Delhi. The Panchayat is a system of justice that is still prevalent in many castes and tribes in India. This Panchayat listened to nine testimonies – from sex workers, sexual minorities and people living with HIV/AIDS. Three experts helped draw out the issues and concerns of stigmatized communities within a framework of human rights and social justice.
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Action Plus Report, October 2006
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REFRAMING SEXUAL RIGHTS AT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

The Sexual Rights Initiative, a collaborative project between Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD, Canada), CREA (India), International Center for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights (INCRESE, Nigeria) and Mulabi – Espacio Latinoamericano de Sexualidades y Derechos (Argentina), aims to reframe sexual rights at the Human Rights Council (HRC) and influence resolutions regarding sexual rights by broadening the definitions related to sexual rights and sexuality to go beyond issues of identity, and the language of discrimination and violence. The project further aims to strengthen and broaden the coalition and increase representation from the global South at the HRC.

Position Statement of the coalition
Sexual Rights celebrate diversity and dignity in sexual behaviours, orientations and pleasures. These rights are fundamental to women’s sexuality and to the human rights agenda for social and gender justice. Activists in almost every country and various movements have advocated for sexual rights in some context or the other but the framing of this advocacy is often limited by socio-cultural or political constraints. We aim to broaden the dialogue on sexual rights to incorporate a feminist and southern-based perspective. Towards this end, we hope to build cross sectoral networks and movements that work together to develop a more balanced analysis of sexuality and sexual rights that will include but also move beyond issues of identity, violence and discrimination to allow for the consideration of positive claims such as the right to broader sexual freedom and a right to sexual expression and pleasure.
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Building the UN Human Rights Council and its Special Procedures: Notes for Sexual Rights and Reproductive Rights Advocates
This advocacy paper informs sexual rights and reproductive rights activists on Special Procedures established by the Human Rights Council to combat impunity of human rights abuses and to strengthen human rights protection in a wide range of areas. It focuses on sexual rights and reproductive rights within these mandates, and makes recommendations for advocacy.
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To read more about the coalition’s activities at the HRC, click here.

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THE SUBALTERN VOICES SEMINAR SERIES

The Subaltern Voices Seminar Series provides a forum for women leaders from the global South who are activists, academics and advocates to speak to audiences in the US on issues of women’s human rights from feminist, Southern-based perspectives. The six speakers in 2006 and 2007 and the titles of their talks were:

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MADE BY WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL 2004 AND 2005
Organized by Point of View, CREA in association with the Federation of Film Societies of India, Made by Women is India’s first international women’s film festival. The festival showcases award winning features, documentaries, animation, and short films made by women directors from around the world to celebrate the talent, spirit and drive of women in cinema.

CELEBRATING HUMAN RIGHTS, FILM FESTIVAL AND MUSIC CONCERT 2004
As part of the Delhi events of the International Campaign to Stop Violence against Women and Girls, CREA helped organize Celebrating Human Rights, a film festival and music concert at Ramjas College in New Delhi. This 2-day event organized in collaboration with TARSHI, Films For Freedom and Ramjas College of Delhi University, explored the links between gender, sexuality, disability, conflict, violence, and rights.

WAKING THE AMERICAN DREAM, PERFORMANCE BY SARAH JONES 2003
As part of CREA’s Celebrating Diversity Campaign, CREA and TARSHI in collaboration with Point of View and Swayam, organized performances of Waking the American Dream, a play written, directed and performed by Sarah Jones in three cities of India. This play is a powerful exploration of the complexities of identity and freedom in immigrants' lives in the United States of America.

SLAM POETRY 2003
Originally composed by the performer, slam ranges from social commentary to political poetry often cutting, gripping and in most cases soul searching. Sarah Jones and Tony Award winner, Steve Colman (http://stevecolmanpoet.com) performed in Delhi and Mumbai in 2003.

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EVENTS 2002 - 2000

ORGASMO ADULTO ESCAPES FROM THE ZOO 2002
Delhi saw the play “Orgasmo Adulto Escapes from the Zoo” written by Dario Fo and Franco Rame, and performed by the Artiste’s Repertory Theatre from Bangalore. The play focused on issues of sexual rights of women. As part of the event, there was a painting and sculpture exhibition by young women artistes. This was a collaborative effort between CREA and TARSHI.

ART AND ACTIVISM: A LECTURE-DEMONSTRATION BY DR. ANANYA CHATTERJEA 2002
Dr. Ananya Chatterjea, a renowned Odissi dancer and activist, presented a lecture and demonstration that brought out the difficulties of producing creative work on women’s issues that aims at social change.

DANCE ME TO MY SONG, FILM SCREENING 2002
Directed by celebrated film maker, Rolf de Heer, this film presents the challenges faced by a young disabled woman as she explores her sexuality. CREA helped organize this screening as an effort to create visibility on issues of disability and sexuality when talking about violence against women.

IN THE FLESH, FILM SCREENING 2002
Through the depiction of the lives of three people in prostitution, this documentary shatters many of the assumptions that people have on sex workers. CREA organized a Delhi screening and a stimulating discussion with the filmmaker.

WOMEN CAN’T WAIT, PERFORMANCE BY SARAH JONES 2001
CREA, in collaboration with seven other Indian NGOs, organized the performance Women Can’t Wait, written and performed by Sarah Jones (www.sarahjonesonline.com), a Broadway star, and directed by Gloria Feliciano. Women Can’t Wait was commissioned by Equality Now as part of its international campaign against discriminatory laws against women. Twenty performances in five cities were organized.

NGO Partners:
CDL – www.explocity.com/subsites/cdl
Point of View – www.pointofview.org
Nalamdana – www.nalamdana.org
Sanhita – www.sandesh.org
Swayam – www.swayam.info
TARSHI – www.tarshi.net
Vacha – www.vachaforwomen.org

COLOUR YOUR DREAMS CAMPAIGN 2000
Eight organizations came together to break gender stereotypes and provide role models for young women to expand their life choices. A film made for the campaign “Colour your dreams” was shown on several television channels on 8th of March, the International Women’s Day, and postcards were distributed at numerous public venues and schools.

For more information on our Public Education and Advocacy efforts, please write to us at crea@vsnl.net

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