Weaving Peace, One Thread at a Time
Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network - India - Women's Empowerment
Photo: Stefan Mentschel
A Vision of Justice
The Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network a new IDEX grantee in India that empowers women survivors of armed violence.
The network was born from the vision of one extraordinary woman named Bina Nepram.
IDEX grants come entirely from our network of supporters like you
You can help empower women who have survived gun violence to heal from their trauma and launch small businesses like silk reeling and mushroom farming. Donate now.
This is Bina:
An estimated 500 civilians are killed yearly in Northeast India, which has experienced ethnic armed conflicts for over five decades now.
"How could I turn my back and walk away? I decided to fight back, on behalf of every Indian who lives in fear." - Bina Nepram, founder of The Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network.
Bina founded Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network to support the many young widows and aging mothers affected by gun violence in the region.
The network helps women to become economically independent and help them heal.
It's the first initiative of its kind in India, and in Asia.
IDEX is committed to providing leaders like Bina with the resources they need to change lives and helping put your support where it will make the most impact.
Can you help Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network grow and reach even more women?
Whether you can give $25, $50, $100, or more - gifts of all sizes will have a significant impact in the lives of women who deserve our solidarity
A Network of Solidarity
Memcha made an honest living and she hoped every day for peace in the region. Her husband's senseless murder has left her disillusioned.
The ongoing conflict in Manipur- where innocent civilians are killed daily - may not make the nightly news, but its effect continues to be devastating for families like Memcha's.
Memcha is a 30-year old widow with 4 children. Her husband was shot last year. He was a local merchant and had a small shop where he sold clothes.
After years of hard work, they had saved up enough money to build their first home.
Just six months later, there was a knock on the door. Soldiers were waiting. They demanded her husband come outside for interrogation.
It was a cold January, so he pulled on woolen garments and grabbed an extra blanket.
Memcha found her husband's body at the front door to their home. He had been shot ten times.
She was left with 4 young children to support and the trauma of a brutally murdered husband. No answers have been offered to her.
Imagining a Peaceful Future
With training through the Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network, Memcha says she has hope: to educate her children and start a new path in life.
Like other women in the network, Memcha is receiving training financial literacy, assistance in opening bank accounts and small no-interest loans.
Women are then able launch small home-based business - in silk reeling, weaving, and mushroom farming - and advocate for safer futures for their children.
The network is also working to end the small arms trade in India by lobbying and educating the government and international agencies so that future generations will be safer.
For more about the good work of Manipur Women Gun Survivor's Network, you can watch this riveting video here and read our blog here.
UPDATE: IDEX is excited to report that Bina received a CNN-Indian Broadcasting Network's Real Heroes Award for 2011 in the women's welfare category. This award reflects her work to empower hundreds of Manipur women survivors of gun violence.
IDEX is committed to providing leaders like Bina with the resources they need to change lives and helping put your support where it will make the most impact. Donate today!
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