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Networks & Collectives

This is a crucial component of CEQUIN’s work. Our engagement for gender responsive governance is at the Central, State as well as Local government levels. CEQUIN is a member of several development network groups seeking accountability such as PWDVA Advocacy and Action Group, NGO network for One Billion Rising, Jamia NGO network and others. We were a member of the Working Group on Women’s Agency and Empowerment for the 12th Five Year Plan. We are spearheading advocacy on gender based violence in public spaces, critical concerns of Muslim women, issues on urban poverty, priorities for adolescent girls and other similar issues.

Some of the collectives that we continue to play a key role in are :

    • National Alliance for Women’s Football – Started in 2019, CEQUIN has led a football movement for girls in India by bringing together the main stakeholders such as AIFF, State Football Associations, clubs, academies, UN agencies, NGOs, media, corporates and bilateral agencies, to strategize and promote women’s football. CEQUIN has been the convener of this alliance.
    • Men Engage Alliance – MenEngage Alliance is a space for members to come together in solidarity with those most targeted by gender injustices and patriarchal systems to collectively dismantle structural barriers to women’s rights and gender equality. As a global network, the network brings together people and organizations with a shared vision of a world in which gender justice and human rights are recognized, promoted and protected, where all people are equal and free from discrimination and oppression. The network’s work with men and boys stems from the pioneering work and ongoing leadership of women’s rights and LGBTQI movements. This means we root our understanding of the world in feminist theory and an understanding that patriarchy is a system at the center of women’s and LGBTQI person’s human rights violations and gender inequalities. CEQUIN has been a member of MEA since 2009.
    • UN Women Civil Society Partner Network – As former members of UNIFEM, our co-founders Sara Abdullah Pilot and Lora K. Prabhu have been a part of this network right from the onset of CEQUIN, engaging with UN Women to strengthen institutional support and strategies for advancing gender equity across sectors.
    • Sport for Good – Model City Delhi – The Sport for Good initiative aims to provide access to sports activities, support networks, and services to help people engage in sports. The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is supported by the Laureus World Sports Academy, an association of 68 retired sports people who volunteer their time. Sport for Good City Delhi was initiated in 2019 by Laureus to use sport to help address specific gender-based inequalities and poverty challenges that disproportionately affect women and girls in the Seemapuri community of Delhi in India. CEQUIN has been a core committee member of the team right from its onset in 2020, and has successfully been a part of the Seemapuri partners coalition, implementing the Kickstart Equality programme with them since 2021.
    • Girls Not Brides India Partner Network – CEQUIN is a part of GNB’s India partner’s coalition. The aim of the national coalition of partners is to come together to accelerate progress to end child marriage. Our Haryana State Lead, Sameem Ahmed has also been part of a 2 year leadership programme – Gender & Leadership Program to advance gender equity through community engagement and youth development.
    • Aman Network – AMAN: Global Voices for Peace in the Home is an International Network to End Domestic Violence. It comprises organizations and individuals in India and abroad, working on the core issue of violence against women, particularly domestic violence. It came into existence on 7 December, 2006. The network provides a platform for member organizations and individuals to interact with each other and learn and grow from each other’s strategies and best practices. The network believes in the strength of collective processes to bring about social change. CEQUIN members and our women’s collective and Mahila Panchayat members have been a regular part of this network.
    • Women Power Connect – CEQUIN has been a part of WPC, a collective of women’s rights organizations across India, which has been instrumental in amplifying women’s rights, particularly in advocating for the passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament and other aspects to forefront women’s political leadership. Our co-founder and chairperson Sara Abdullah Pilot has been an Advisor to the Secretariat, playing a key role supporting WPC’s functions, advising the team on how to maintain their identity and strengthen their mandate of advancing women’s rights. She has supported the team in strategically expanding WPC activities through partnerships with UN systems and various multilateral agencies and foundations.
    • Mahila Panchayat Network with Action India – The Mahila Panchayat network (women’s councils) was set up by Action India in 1994, to combat widespread domestic violence in neighborhoods of Delhi’s slum communities. Each council has 25 women in each hierarchy-free space, selected from within the local area based on their leadership abilities, articulation of domestic violence matters, and basic education for writing ‘First Information Reports’ for police, and other documents. CEQUIN has anchored the network of 25 Mahila panchayat collectives across Delhi with Action India ( supported by Delhi Government) from 2009 – 2016. It was this experience that inspired CEQUIN to nurture its own Mahila panchayats in over 3 states of Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana.
    • One Billion Rising – One Billion Rising is the biggest mass action to end violence against women (cisgender, transgender, and those who hold fluid identities that are subject to gender-based violence) in human history. The campaign, which launched on Valentine’s Day 2012, began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. CEQUIN has been a part of OBR right from 2009, and has organized and participated in many OBR public campaigns and events to highlight violence against women and girls.
    • SPUWAC network – CEQUIN has been a part of the SPUWAC network right from the beginning when it was formed in the aftermath of the Nirbhaya Rape Case in 2012. Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC), is a special body of Delhi Police, which aims to safeguard the rights of women and children in the Capital working with various NGOs, schools, colleges and other agencies. While on one hand it enquires complaints and investigates the cases related to dowry and other crimes against women, primarily matrimonial disputes specified in section 85/316/3/(5) BNS, on the other hand it caters to children by building a cadre of child-friendly police and child-friendly police stations across the city. We attend regular monthly and quarterly meetings in the network to jointly work with other CSOs and Delhi Police for safety measures in the capital.
    • Adolescent Girl Alliance & 10to19 Collaborative by Dasra The 10to19 Collaborative, established in 2017, aims to accelerate adolescent-first approaches by engaging stakeholders from funders, civil society, and government to empower 15 million young people, especially girls. CEQUIN has been a part of these networks since 2021, aligning with our mission to empower adolescent girls and create gender equitable communities.
    • AWE (Advancing Women Entrepreneurship) India Network – The AWE India Network  aims to provide women entrepreneurs across India with the resources, support, and opportunities they need to succeed. Through support, capacity building, and collaboration, we aim to foster a supportive ecosystem that enables women to start and grow successful businesses, driving economic growth and gender equality. Our co-founder and Managing Director Lora K. Prabhu was recently invited to join the network in 2024.