Access to Justice and Legal Empowerment

Women’s Rights and Gender Justice

SDPSJ views Dalit, Adivasi and other marginalised women as rights‑holders entitled to live free from discrimination and violence and to participate fully in social, economic and political life. Our work challenges the intersecting oppressions of caste, class and patriarchy.

• Formation and strengthening of women’s collectives and self‑help groups that serve as platforms for mutual support, leadership development and collective bargaining.

• Prevention and response to gender‑based violence, including case management, referrals, accompaniment to police and courts, and linkages to shelter, health and counselling services.

• Community campaigns and dialogues engaging men, youth and community leaders to shift harmful norms and promote gender‑equitable attitudes.

• Capacity‑building of women leaders to participate in local governance processes, demand accountability and influence decision‑making.

• Community‑based child protection mechanisms and vigilance groups to identify and prevent child labour, child marriage, trafficking and abuse.

• Collaboration with schools, School Management Committees and education authorities to address discrimination, corporal punishment, exclusion and drop‑out among marginalised children.

• Awareness programmes with parents and caregivers on the importance of education, nutrition, health and safe migration for children.

• Case‑based support and linkages with child protection systems, including Child Welfare Committees, District Child Protection Units and juvenile justice mechanisms.

Child Rights and Protection

SDPSJ upholds the right of every child to survival, development, protection and participation, with particular attention to children from Dalit, Adivasi and other excluded communities who face heightened risk of abuse, exploitation and discrimination.

Livelihoods and

Economic Rights

SDPSJ asserts that marginalised communities have the right to dignified livelihoods, fair wages, safe working conditions and access to productive assets and markets.

• Organisation of informal and unorganised sector workers, particularly from Dalit and Adivasi communities, to demand minimum wages, safe conditions and compliance with labour laws.

• Facilitation of access to livelihood schemes (e.g., public works, skill development, credit, entrepreneurship support) and support for collective enterprises.

• Support to communities in securing land and resource rights, including documentation, claims and negotiations with authorities.

• Financial literacy and resilience‑building interventions to reduce indebtedness and dependency on exploitative intermediaries.

Social Protection and Entitlements

SDPSJ considers social protection as a right, not a charity, and works to ensure that state welfare schemes effectively reach those most in need.

• Information campaigns on key social protection schemes related to food security, pensions, health insurance, housing, disability and education.

• Documentation support (identity proofs, caste certificates, bank accounts) and facilitation of applications for various entitlements.

• Establishment of entitlement help‑desks and periodic camps in communities to assist with applications, renewals and grievance redressal.

• Community‑led monitoring and social audits of schemes to identify leakages, discrimination and barriers, and to advocate for corrective action.

• Documentation and publicisation of cases of caste‑based discrimination and violence, and support to affected communities in seeking legal and administrative remedies.

• Community dialogues, campaigns and cultural initiatives that challenge discriminatory norms and promote narratives of equality, fraternity and mutual respect.

• Engagement with local governance bodies, religious and traditional leaders, and service providers to promote inclusive practices and reduce segregation and exclusion.

• Youth leadership programmes to nurture a new generation of rights‑aware advocates for social justice.

Cross‑Cutting Approaches

Across all thematic areas, SDPSJ integrates several cross‑cutting approaches:

Intersectionality

Interventions explicitly address the layered discrimination experienced by women, children, people with disabilities, religious minorities and sexual minorities within marginalised caste groups.

Evidence‑based advocacy

Documentation, research and case tracking generate evidence that informs local and higher‑level advocacy with government, statutory bodies and other stakeholders

Participation and leadership of marginalised groups

Programmes are designed and implemented with active participation of community members, particularly women and youth, as planners, monitors and advocates.

Partnerships and networks

SDPSJ collaborates with grassroots organisations, social movements, legal aid networks, human rights institutions and development agencies to scale impact and influence systemic change.

Geographic Focus and Target Groups

• Dalit and Adivasi communities facing chronic discrimination and deprivation

• Women and girls from marginalised communities

• Children at risk of child labour, early marriage, trafficking and school exclusion

• Informal and unorganised workers, including migrants

• Households excluded from social protection schemes despite high vulnerability

SDPSJ works in selected rural, urban and peri‑urban areas across multiple districts in India where caste‑based exclusion, violence and deprivation are pronounced. Primary target groups include