Working with the Government for Change

We were invited to consult with the Tamil Nadu Legal Services Authority, Chennai, on potential directions for training police facilitation officers and lawyers / para legal staff at One Stop Centers in the state. As part of our consultations, we submitted these notes and ideas on record. I attended the meeting, which included 24 different stakeholders including a representative each from three other organizations working in similar areas in Chennai. The ideas we discussed and submitted centered on trauma-informed and empathy-driven training approaches to ensure that staff liaising with the police on behalf of survivors offer them the support and care they need while going through the arduous process of filing a case and following through, as well as to ensure that a survivor's right of agency, consent, and personal liberty are not compromised on.  It was interesting to see the existing frames of reference and to find passionate officials ready to dedicate their all to ensure that no survivor's case goes unaddressed - and we did certainly feel encouraged about being able to share. Waiting to see what happens next!