Final Evaluation: Stop Violence Against Women of the Mukkuvar Indigenous Fisher Folk Community of India: From Zero Concern to Sustainable Care (India) 

Author(s)/editor(s)

Mr. Jeyanth K. Newport, Crescent Educational Society 

Location: Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu state, India 

Grantee: Organization for Community Development (OCD) 

Grant period: June 2021–May 2024 

Grant amount: $150,000 

Organization for Community Development implemented the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women-funded three-year project “Stop Violence Against Women of the Mukkuvar Indigenous Fisher Folk Community of India: From Zero Concern to Sustainable Care” in Tamil Nadu state in India. The project aimed to prevent violence against women and girls through community awareness raising and sensitization, and improving access to quality services for survivors of violence in 44 villages in the Indigenous Mukkuvar fisher folk communities. The project achieved a high level of community engagement and developed Zero Violence Against Women Committees (Z-VAWCs), which played a crucial role in community-based advocacy, support and service referrals. 

The final evaluation concluded that the project successfully achieved its goal of reducing violence against women and empowering survivors, with significant impact in Mukkuvar fisher folk communities, despite varying results in different villages. It also concluded that sustainability depends on continued community engagement and provision of services, and outreach to younger women and girls. 

Key findings: 

100% of survivors (353 cases) received or were made aware of legal, medical and psychosocial support services available. 
85% of women in the targeted villages said they had seen a noticeable decline in violence in their communities since the project started. 
72% of 250 participants in skill-training programmes said they now had sufficient income through small-scale businesses. 
After the project, Z-VAWCs were operating independently.

“Men now know that if they commit violence against a woman, the committee will intervene.” - Focus group discussion participant