Indian brothers get US award for combating anti-women violence

WASHINGTON: Three Indian brothers have been felicitated by US Vice President Joe Biden in recognition of their work to end violence against women through an NGO.


At an awards ceremony held at the prestigious Kennedy Center here yesterday, Biden presented Kant brothers - Ravi, Rishi and Nishi - from New Delhi "Solidarity Award" of the Vital Voices, which was started by Hillary Clinton in 1997.

Pakistani teenage girl Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by Taliban militants for advocating girls' education, was presented with the Global Trailblazer Award.

"For more than a decade it has been a leading voice in the debate about violence against women in India. For much of that time, the Kant brothers have fought hard to get the country to notice the plight of women who have been abused, trafficked, attacked, and enslaved," Vital Voices said.

"The organization has been a leading voice on policy and legal changes to combat violence against women and children in India," Vital Voices said about NGO Shakti Vahini which was established by the three brothers in 2001.

The organization is headed by Ravi, its president, and has been strongly supported by Nishi, its executive director, and Rishi, who is a social activist.

"Shakti is the mother goddess, the goddess who has fought injustice," says Ravi, explaining the name. "Vahini is a brigade. There are many of us, and we're fighting together."

For over a decade they have been proposing legislation, demanding that laws be enforced, improving access to services and empowering victims to take action, Vital Voices said, adding they have taken on violence against women, honor killings, human trafficking, child labor, slavery - a cluster of connected problems that are deeply entrenched.

Cindy Dyer, vice president of human rights at Vital Voices, told The Washington Post that men's silence is one of the greatest obstacles that women's advocates must overcome.

"The fact is, it ain't girls and women who are perpetrating violence against women. Men and boys think that being nonviolent themselves is sufficient. It's not enough," Dyer was quoted as saying.

But the presence of the Kants and Biden, who decided to present the award is an indicative of a broader call for men to speak up.