Parwaaz

Parwaaz is the community based Legal Aid Cell which receives cases of women, youth and children facing violence and abuse. Parwaaz runs a counseling support unit and has linkages with other units in the city which offer extended legal support in court cases, for medical treatment and mental health related interventions. Parwaaz holds bi-monthly social protection camps in the bastis to create awareness around schemes and services for the community and also assists the community in accessing these services. Parwaaz has a team of para-legal volunteers and youth workers who are responsible for community outreach. Parwaaz centre receives technical support from Centre for Social Justice. Parwaaz primarily carries out the following functions:

  1. Social Protection Camps:
  2. Counseling Support
  3. Referal for Legal Aid
  4. Anchoring a Survivors’ Group
  5. Anchoring a Skills Training & Production Unit run by survivors of violence
  6. Building a Cadre of paralegal volunteers
  7. Awareness generation through participatory theatre and performances

Currently, Parwaaz is managed by a team of young Muslim women who function as para-legals. The team primarily provides counseling support to women, young people and daily wagers. Social protection camps enable the team to reach out to poorest communities with information and support. Parwaaz also links up with other legal aid units in the city to cross refer and receive cases.

Parwaaz covers nearly 50 urban poor communities in 4 zones of Bhopal Municipal Coroporation. Cases arrive from various other locations of Bhopal and neighbouring districts as well. Parwaaz reaches out directly to over 1000 people in a month in different bastis through camps, meetings, home-visits, sessions, workshops and campaigns.

Key areas of work: includes counseling, case work, home visits, camps, campaigns, supporting the Urja Desk, research, documentation, performing media initiatives.