Implemented in two intervention blocks — Gangapur and Paithan — in collaboration with the District Health Department, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, MASUM's Udaan project, in partnership with research partner CEHAT, aims at strengthening the readiness and ability of the health system to address and prevent domestic violence against women.

Under the Udaan project, Women's Day 2026 celebrations were organised in 75 villages of Gangapur block and 36 villages of Paithan block. To make the celebrations a success, the Udaan team sought the involvement of District Health Officers and Block Development Officers, thus making the celebrations a joint effort of rural development and health systems both. The coordinated effort — which involved multiple stakeholders — ensured active participation and convergence of community-level structures like Gram Panchayat (GP) along with health-care facilities participating in the project.

The participants at the individual events included community members like Sarpanch, Deputy Sarpanch, GP members, Anganwadi Sevika, ASHAs, MPWs, ASHA Group Facilitators, Police Patil, self-help group members, local government officers, local political representatives, school teachers, school students, and the Udaan team (field facilitators, block facilitators) among others.

All participants vowed that they would keep their villages domestic violence (DV) free and that they would not allow domestic violence against any woman living in their village. Other messages emphasised during the events held at various villages:

• Domestic violence holds strong linkages with health
• Domestic violence is not a personal or household matter but a public-health issue

On this occasion, certificates of the oath were distributed to 1,200 participants.

All stakeholders worked towards the common goal of spreading and reinforcing the core message of making villages domestic-violence free.

During the events, awareness raising was done using talks, discussions, presentations, and IEC posters, and covered aspects like:

• Domestic violence and its various forms like physical, mental, and economic
• Details of the Udaan project against domestic violence — how DV survivors receive help and are assured confidentiality
• Who can help DV survivors? ASHAs, PHC doctors, HCPs, Counsellors
• Effect of domestic violence on health of women and children
• Woman's health and dignity and women's empowerment
• Anti-dowry laws, laws against child marriage, with the message that girls shouldn't be married off early
• Types of legal help available to DV survivors
• Discrimination against the girl child and social biases
• A declaration to not tolerate violence: tolerating violence is also a crime; tolerating violence is the major problem

At many of the events, women health workers were felicitated with bouquets or other gifts like shawls. At some events, Rangoli competitions were held for women. In Waluj, girl students made presentations on discrimination against the girl child.

All events involved a public declaration by participants to oppose violence against women and taking an oath to stand firmly against domestic violence. Based on the feedback and response of the various participants, the events helped make women feel more confident. Almost all events were marked by renowned community members showing their vocal support to women and assuring all help for women in issues involving domestic violence.

In addition to events held at various locations in the villages, events were also held at some health-care facilities attended by community health workers, health-care providers, and members of the Udaan team. These events also had awareness raising on domestic violence and oath taking against domestic violence. Among facilities in Gangapur Taluka that hosted events were Lasur Station PHC (8th March), Sub-District Hospital Gangapur (11th March), and some Sub-Centres of Waluj PHC. Facilities in Paithan Taluka which hosted Women's Day celebrations included the Rural Hospital Pachod and Dhakephal PHC (March 11).

The Udaan team employed a multi-stakeholder approach to organise the Women's Day events at various locations. This approach ensures convergence between the different stakeholders — in this instance the health system and the rural development machinery. This approach employed by Udaan led to considerable participation in the events. At the same time, it also garnered widespread support towards preventing and addressing domestic violence from respectable community members including local political leaders and office bearers.

Udaan's approach for organising Women's Day 2026 could in fact serve as a replicable model for development workers and grassroots organisations, since the approach was successful in mobilising support by bringing together different departments of the government, local leadership, officials, and individuals — for a worthy cause.