The Village Health Workers (Bharat Vaidya) Programme, the very first long-term health initiative of HMF launched in 1994 had tapped the potential of village women, trained and empowered them to deliver door-step healthcare to villagers, particularly women. This initiative observed from close quarters, the state of women who had to bear gender discrimination and inequality, domestic violence; starvation/malnutrition, inadequate water, and other supplies, etc. It thus provided valuable lessons for the way forward in strategizing focussed interventions for advancing gender equality, women’s empowerment and eradicating discrimination and violence against women.

Therefore, in 1996, it initiated a programme to empower women in SHGs, which among other benefits, helped break the silence against domestic violence. Further in 2004, it went on to establish the much-needed support and counselling Centre for domestic violence survivors – Savali Kendra (Savali meaning ‘shade’ or ‘respite’). It further expanded its scope in 2010, to include men as equal partners in bringing gender equality and preventing violence against women. Moving on, in 2019, it executed a more comprehensive intervention strategy to include the village community members as well as the rural governance bodies, government duty-bearers, professionals and other stakeholders.