Thanks for visiting my Just Giving page. On 8th August (not long now!) I will be swimming, cycling and running to raise money to make women and girls safer in India.

Across India, violations of girls’ and women’s rights happen every day on a shocking scale. Around 23% of girls are still pushed into child marriages, despite it being against the law. Many girls or their families are lured by “agents” with promises of work or marriage, only to end up in bonded labour including domestic servitude in the homes of strangers far from home, or as sex-workers.

For Dalit (lower caste) girls, the risks are even greater. In parts of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the jogini and devadasi systems still trap girls in ritualised sexual abuse under the guise of “tradition” — a practice outlawed since 1988 but still persisting.

Your support today can help our local teams:

- Eradicate the jogini/devadasi system within 10 years

- End the social acceptability of child marriage and forced marriage

- Ensure girls and families understand the risks of trafficking and exploitation

- Raise awareness of the importance of not stigmatising survivors and how to alert relevant people about girls at risk needing help

Let me share one story that gives me hope:

Vijay* was trapped in ritualised sex work from childhood and saw no way out. Our field team reached her, offering counselling, literacy classes and skills training. With a small business grant, she began selling vegetables. Her stall thrived, and she later opened a small general store that is now central to village life. Today, Vijay is financially secure — and her children are thriving at a Good Shepherd School.

Her story shows what is possible when someone steps in at the right moment.

I have seen this project at work and, more importantly, met survivors of this practice who are now driving this change and seeing remarkable impact. I'd love to get your help to extend the project into 50 new villages. You can find out more here https://dfn.org.uk/making-women-and-girls-safer-appeal

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