Advocacy, awareness and policy dialogue

Shakti Milan Samaj (SMS) actively engages in advocacy, awareness-raising, and policy dialogue to address systemic barriers faced by women and children living with HIV/AIDS, survivors of trafficking, and other marginalized groups. These efforts aim to create lasting structural change by influencing laws, policies, and societal attitudes that perpetuate discrimination, violence, and exclusion. Through targeted awareness campaigns, SMS works to challenge harmful stereotypes, dismantle stigma, and promote understanding within communities, schools, public spaces, and workplaces. Activities include youth-led outreach events, community dialogues, media engagement, and educational sessions that foster empathy, encourage solidarity, and normalize conversations around HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence, and human rights.

On the policy front, SMS conducts advocacy initiatives to integrate critical, rights-based information about HIV/AIDS, trafficking, and gender equality into school curricula, public health programs, and government service frameworks. The organization regularly engages with parliamentarians, government ministries, and local authorities to present evidence-based recommendations, often drawn from direct interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and documented lived experiences of beneficiaries. This ensures that the voices of affected individuals particularly women and children are meaningfully represented in decision-making spaces. SMS also facilitates multi-stakeholder policy dialogues, bringing together government agencies, law enforcement, healthcare providers, civil society organizations, and community leaders to coordinate responses, share knowledge, and strengthen accountability mechanisms. By combining grassroots mobilization with high-level advocacy, SMS ensures that change is not only visible at the community level but also embedded in national policies and institutional practices, paving the way for a more inclusive, equitable, and compassionate society.