About SAMAJ

In 2021, Equality Now co-authored a regional report titled Sexual Violence in South Asia: Legal and Other Barriers to Justice for Survivors, covering six countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Following this, like-minded organisations convened in Nepal to discuss collaborative efforts to address sexual violence. This led to the formation of the South Asian Movement for Accessing Justice (SAMAJ), which aims to drive legal reforms and support services across the region.

SAMAJ, meaning “society” in some South Asian languages, is a coalition dedicated to uniting voices against sexual violence in South Asia. It believes in the power of a collective, unified approach to create lasting change.

Purpose of the Coalition

SAMAJ is committed to addressing the pervasive issue of sexual violence in South Asia by:

• Advocating Legal Reforms: Highlighting and advocating for the removal of protection gaps in existing laws and practices on sexual violence to ensure comprehensive legal frameworks across the region.
• Ensuring Access to Support Services: Ensuring the accessibility and effectiveness of support provisions and services for survivors of sexual violence, fostering a supportive environment for healing and seeking justice.
• Empowering Marginalized Groups: Promoting survivor-led solutions to improve access to justice for marginalized groups, amplifying their voices to address systemic barriers and create inclusive pathways for justice.
• Promoting Accountability Mechanisms: Pushing for greater accountability on ending sexual violence in the region by utilizing existing regional and international mechanisms and treaty bodies to hold perpetrators and institutions accountable.
• Fostering an Inclusive Movement: Growing and sustaining an inclusive and multi-sectoral movement dedicated to ending sexual violence in South Asia, fostering collaboration and solidarity among diverse stakeholders for lasting change.

What SAMAJ Aims to Achieve

Until 2025, SAMAJ commits to:

• Highlight and advocate for the removal of protection gaps in existing laws and practices on ending sexual violence across South Asia.
• Ensure the accessibility and effectiveness of support provisions and services for survivors of sexual violence.
• Promote survivor-led solutions for better access to justice for marginalised groups.
• Push for greater accountability on ending sexual violence in the region, including by using existing regional and international mechanisms and treaty bodies.
• Grow and sustain an inclusive and multi-sectoral movement around ending sexual violence in South Asia.

Guiding Principles

SAMAJ will ensure that:

• It works through collective ownership and leadership.
• All propositions and plans of SAMAJ are informed and built around strong feminist principles and an intersectional approach.
• All processes endeavour to be inclusive and co-created, emphasising the voices of grassroots, marginalised women, and gender non-conforming persons.

Coalition Members

The SAMAJ coalition has 17 organisations and individuals as members representing Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and The Maldives. The aspiration is to expand the membership across the region, going forward.

• Equality Now
• Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST)
• Badabon Sangho
• Women with Disabilities Development Foundation (WDDF)
• Nagrik Udoyog
• NCWL
• Nirman
• Urja Trust
• ADECOM Network
• Uthema
• Women for Human Rights (WHR)
• Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO)
• Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD)
• WAN
• Centre for Equality and Justice (CEJ)
• The Women’s Development Centre (WDC)

Resources

Contact Us

For any inquiries, please reach out to us at: samaj@equalitynow.org

We believe in collaborative work. If you, as an organisation or an individual based in South Asia, want to join the movement to end sexual violence in South Asia, write to us.