Gayatri is a social worker since 2001 and a Community Correspondent. The veteran activist has worked consistently to break down historically ingrained and accepted caste and gender-based discrimination whose effects she personally experienced. Girls in her village were prohibited from continuing their education and were married at an early age. Gayatri, however, was determined to study. The higher secondary school…

Gayatri Ambedkar

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The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act was passed in 2005 to ensure the safety of women against domestic violence. However, a decade later, women like Mamta, from Uttar Pradesh, remain without justice. Hailing from Baritola village of Ambedkar Nagar in UP, Mamta has been a victim of domestic violence for 12 years.

- Who beats you?
- My husband.
- Does he hit you with anything?
- He beats me with anything that comes into his hands and injures me terribly. I cannot stand or move sometimes, after a beating.

Mamta's husband and his family constantly demanded money, grains and jewellery. When Mamta's family was unable to give them anymore, Mamta and her four children were thrown out of the house in the middle of the night. Since then, they have been living at Mamta's parents home.

Mamta's mother says, 'They kept demanding 50,000 INR, rings and other jewellery. Whenever we had anything, we gave it to them. When we couldn't, they threw Mamta & her 4 kids out of the house at 1 AM. Mamta came here and has been here ever since. Who all can I look after? She also wants her family but what can we do if they are not taking her back. I cannot desert them or force them to go'.

Amidst all the chaos, Mamta remains worried about her children. 'I have four children and the oldest of them - my daughter - is 14 years old. I am very worried about my future and especially about my children's education. My father's health is also deteriorating... I don't know what to do.' Caught between an abusive husband and a struggling mother, Mamta pleads for help.

Community Correspondent Gayatri wants the probation officer to look deeper into Mamta's case and bring an end to the physical and mental abuse she has been facing for years. Please call the probation officer on +91-9454183633 and ask him to help Mamta get justice.

Gayatri reports from Ambedkar nagar, Uttar Pradesh for IndiaUnheard.

Community correspondent Gayatri Devi reports from Uttar Pradesh for Video Volunteers. Community Correspondents comes from marginalized communities in India and produce videos on unreported stories. These stories are ’news by those who live it.’ They give the hyper local context to global human rights and development challenges. See more such videos at www.videovolunteers.org. Take action for a more just global media by sharing their videos and joining in their call for change.