In response to the rising incidents of child abuse and violence against women, empowHER India partnered with Karjat Police Station to launch a significant awareness campaign focused on student safety. The initiative took place across five schools in Karjat in August 2024, benefiting over 583 students and involving 122 stakeholders, including teachers, non-teaching staff, and School Management Committee (SMC) members.

The campaign aimed to educate students on how to identify safe and unsafe touches. Anamara Baig, CEO of empowHER India, emphasized the importance of early education in preventing incidents like the Badlapur sexual assault case. She shared, “Preventing such incidents began with early, proactive education. Just as we prioritise literacy and numeracy, we need to teach children about personal boundaries. Introducing and reinforcing the concepts of good touch and bad touch at a young age was essential to safeguarding and empowering them.”

Under the leadership of Police Inspector Surendra Garad and Police Naik Sonali Gholap, empowHER India’s team conducted sessions that taught students critical skills for recognizing and responding to inappropriate behaviour. The workshops proved to be a great success, with students learning how to use the “NO, GO, TELL” strategy to protect themselves in uncomfortable situations. The sessions were interactive, and both students and teachers participated enthusiastically.

The campaign made a lasting impact, raising awareness about student safety and equipping young people with the knowledge to protect themselves. Arjun Malge, Cluster Coordinator (Karjat Block) of empowHER India, highlighted the importance of the sessions: “By teaching children about safe and unsafe touches, we empowered them to recognize inappropriate behaviour and encouraged them to speak up if they felt threatened. This education not only helped them stay safe but also built their confidence to seek help when needed.”

Amol Kale, Master Trainer of empowHER India, noted the positive response from schools. He remarked, “We provided information to both boys and girls, and extensive discussions took place with active participation from everyone. Teachers were present, and schools requested that similar sessions be conducted with the parents of these children as well. We are prepared to organize sessions for parents if the schools are willing.” This initiative underscored the importance of education in protecting children and highlighted the power of collaboration in creating a safer environment for students.