The status of Indian women is progressing towards gender equality, but women continue to encounter patriarchal standards. Despite the steps towards gender equality, women still face abuse from society. India has a high rate of rapes, while physical assault and acid attacks are on the rise as well. The National Women's Front was founded with the hope of empowering women in the fight for justice and equality.
History of the organization
Although NGOs and humanitarian organizations lend support to women's rights in India, western approaches to feminism may not provide the relief necessary. In 2009, the National Women's Front was launched, under the guidance of the controversial Popular Front of India, to "create a platform for women through which women can stand up against injustice and fight for their rights". The organization started and worked in three states, but is now working within eight states. The aim is to provide support and encourage women living in rural communities that are often overlooked by the government to fight for their equality.
Programs and campaigns
In 2014, the NWF Delhi State unit held an International Women's Day celebration with their nationwide campaign "Women Representation – The Power to Empower". In November of the same year, the NWF organised a conference ‘Awakening’ to debate issues concerning Indian women at Coimbatore. On the eve of the conference, an expo on women's rights and issues was inaugurated by Popular Front of India state president A.S.Ismail. Graphic illustrations of domestic violence, rape, female foeticide and riots victims have been presented at the expo. A workshop on Women Safety was organized by the National Women's Front at the India Islamic Cultural Center in New Delhi in 2013. In September of the same year National Women's Front organized the national campaign "Right to Hijab" across the country to create awareness about hijab and also promote the right to cultural identity. NWF conducted a campaign related to human rights and legal awareness in various States of India. This campaign sprang from a perception that, under the garb of preventing terrorism, extremism, and Maoism, law enforcement targets minorities, dalits, and tribals by taking them into illegal custody, keeping them in jail, and even killing them in fake encounters, and that none of the political parties were taking a principled stand against what NWF regarded as this injustice. The Kerala State committee of National Women's Front organized a campaign against the Uniform Civil Code, as a part of national level of initiative to create awareness of the threat posed by the Code to the cultural diversity of India. They termed the Uniform Civil Code "anti-national" as it eliminates the diversity of different communities ultimately destroying Indian Nationalism. According to them it is a manifestation of anti-Muslim tendencies of Hindutva groups.
has been fasting since 2000 demanding the withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act imposed in Manipur. The arrest of Irom Chanu Sharmila, after the release order from the ImphalSessions Court, was condemned by the NWF national secretariat members who gathered a meeting in their headquarters. When Irom Chanu Sharmila called an end to her 16 long year fast to enter politics, she received a negative response from the people of Manipur itself. But NWF supported her decision in this cause. NWF president AS Sainaba strongly condemned the disgraceful attack on women at the Mandsaur railway station in Madhya Pradesh. She called for an end to violence, for the culprits to be brought to justice, and for the Government to control hate speakers.
