During my first visit in June 2009 to India I stayed one week with Vimochana in Bangalore. I was lucky that I could go with them to 2 local community public hearings which they, together with their local partner organizations had organized in that week: one in Kolar district and one in K.R.Pet, Mandya District, both in the State Karnataka. The Women’s Court are not seen as an event in itself, but as a process. And so in a period of 18 months before the Court would take place in July, the core partners of the Women’s Court, together with women’s and human rights organizations, students, Trade Unions and other civil society organizations in their region, organized many events in their towns/states/regions.

On the bus to this NARI ADALAT, the local village level Women’s Court in K.R.Pet, Mandya District I was told that the medical centra to do gynecological echographies is booming in this region, not for health reasons, but when it is a girl it ends in a growing line with abortions. The place is notorious for the large scale trafficking of girls to Bombay and Bangalore for domestic labour and for sex industry. The issues focused on in the hearing were changing agricultural patterns, lack of jobs in agricultural field, migration of men to Metros and trafficking of women to earn money that goes towards their dowry.

As the hearing was in local language I did not understand the words they were saying. I hope my photos can share with you the stories I heard with my heart and soul, in intonations of their voices, in their body languages... It all made such a deep impression on me. So many people had come for this day so that the room was overfilled. Women and men testifying in their own words, taking the time they needed, to tell their story of pain and despair. But also as well for the testifiers as for the public it felt as a strong healing celebration. This Women’s Court was a Healing space, a hearth-giving moment full of strength too…