Campaign to empower vulnerable communities launched

Aimed at empowering maginalised and vulnerable communities and deepen their engagement with the law, a legal-awareness campaign was launched here Thursday.

The National Legal Services Authority, in collaboration with the department of women and child development (WCD), launched "Know Your Law, Rights" campaign that will strive to use legal literacy to strengthen not only knowledge on laws but also their everyday engagement with it.

"The law would not be perceived as an oppressive instrument of authority but as an empowering instrument of protection and prevention," statement said.

Sarada Ali Khan, joint secretary with the WCD, said the campaign would help to get the ground ready especially in the light of setting up the one-stop crisis centres in each district.

"We certainly look forward to partnering with community organisations to ensure that legal educators drawn from the community assist the crisis centres and all service providers to prevent violence and extend support to survivors and victims," she said.

Similar campaigns will soon be launched at Madurai and Salem districts of Tamil Nadu, Anantapur and east Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh and Solapur district of Maharashtra, said a statement.

Various other service providers, community organisations representing sex workers and transgenders are also associated with this campaign.

The Centre for Advocacy and Research is offering technical support to the campaign.