Seema Sakhare

Indian feminist

Seema Sakhare (born c. 1933) is an Indian feminist who campaigns to stop violence against women.

Career

Seema Sakhare (born c. 1933) is from Nagpur in the Indian state of Maharashtra.^[1] After a young Adivasi woman from Desaiganj was raped in 1972 and the ensuing court case became a national issue, Sakhare visited her and later founded an organization which campaigned to stop violence against women.^[1] She became well-known in India for supporting women and offering legal support.^[2] In 2016, she told The Times of India that she had helped around 200 survivors of rape.^[3] When Nationalist Congress Party leader Asha Mirje made remarks suggesting that women were partly to blame for being raped, Sakhare condemned the comments and called for her resignation.^[4]

In recognition of her work, she was awarded the 2013 Stree Shakti Puraskar (now re-named Nari Shakti Puraskar).^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Basu, Moni (2013). "The girl whose rape changed a country". CNN. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
^ Special correspondent (8 March 2014). "Laws alone can't come to women's rescue: Pranab". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
^ Staff writer (22 November 2016). "Activist opposes rape survivor's forced abortion". The Times of India. TNN. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
^ Maitra, Pradip Kumar (29 January 2014). "Mirje likely to be sacked for her remark on rape". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
^ Gwalani, Payal (5 March 2014). "Noted social worker and president of Stree Atyachar Virodhi Parishad, Seema Sakhare has been selected for the Stree Shakti Puraskar 2013 (Ahilya Bai Holkar) by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The award will be presented by President of India, Pranab Mukherjee in a ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on the occasion of International Women's Day, on March 8". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 May 2022.