Twenty Years, One Vision: Ending Violence Against Women




















WHO: Sakhi for South Asian Women

WHAT: Sakhi's 20th Anniversary Gala

WHERE: Prince George Ballroom, 15 E. 27th Street, Manhattan, NY

WHEN: Friday, October 2nd, 2009, 6:30 p.m. to Midnight

(For more information please visit http://sakhi.org/change/Gala.php)

Sakhi for South Asian Women exists to end violence against women. Sakhi unites survivors, communities, and institutions to eradicate domestic violence as they work together to create strong and healthy communities. Sakhi uses an integrated approach that combines support and empowerment through service delivery, community engagement, media advocacy, and policy initiatives.

Talented filmmaker and long-time Sakhi supporter Mira Nair will serve as the evening's honored guest speaker. The night will also be filled with sumptuous cocktails, delectable food by Devi, a live auction with a Sotheby's auctioneer, the screening of Sakhi's new film and a powerful Sakhi program, and dancing inspired by fabulous music by DJ Rekha.

"Sakhi's 20th Anniversary gala is a celebration of our work to raise awareness on the silenced subject of domestic violence and to empower survivors to transform their lives and our communities to respond to abuse. It is a testament to how we have, in 20 years, truly broken the silence and built a stronger community," observes Purvi Shah, Executive Director of Sakhi for South Asian Women.

Founded in 1989, Sakhi's work began with community members who took crisis calls in apartments. Today, Sakhi has grown and expanded its programming and impact far beyond its founding twenty years ago. In the past 7 years, Sakhi has seen a dramatic tripling in community demand for their services: in 2001, Sakhi responded to 201 new requests for assistance; in 2008 they fielded a record 731 new pleas. In the first half of 2009, Sakhi has already responded to 403 new requests and conducted 39 presentations. Sakhi's work enables survivors to access critical services, fosters community dialogue to end violence, and advocates vital changes in agencies and policies to enable institutions to respond to violence.