The organization takes an all encompassing view of empowerment that includes social, political and economic dimensions. Empowerment does not only mean the elimination of violence and discrimination in its most blatant forms, it also means ensuring that women have equal rights to access necessities such as nutritious food and healthy living. It also means that women are legally literate and can undertake advocacy and policy analysis such that they can better understand how their rights are being impacted and the measures they must take to protect them. The organization adopts a multi pronged strategy to deal with violations of women’s rights- forming linkages with the District Legal Services Authority for legal assistance, creating spaces for mediation for divorce, domestic abuse, marital problems, sexual violence, abuse at the workplace, land rights, trafficking, labour rights, adoption, discrimination etc. in addition to providing psychological support to women in distress. This is done in addition with an ongoing process of awareness creation through camps that focus on issues as RTE, RTI, Land Rights, Forest Rights etc.

While violence against women is a growing and pervasive problem, it especially affects marginalized women- such as tribals and minorities. The organization’s approach has always been that men are critical if gender sensitivity within the larger community has to be built. Such sensitivity starts from examining commonly used abusive words and understanding the nuances of gender insensitivity in them. The men in our project areas are increasingly sensitized and this is creating ripple effects beyond specific areas.

For over a decade and a half now KSS has been linking women with local, state and national level networks to raise their voices against all manner of discrimination and violence, and also to seek justice through appropriate forums and mechanisms. The approach has been to involve all manner of stakeholders- panchayat members, social activists, students, police personnel, lawyers, para legal workers and the like to create and sustain an atmosphere that is respectful of women’s rights and helps them in obtaining justice.

A violence free society where laws are effective and well implemented, where office bearers are conscientious of their duties, and where public opinion builds the necessary pressure to ensure justice to women is what the organizations strives for and relentlessly campaigns for.