Stree Aadhar Kendra (Women's Support Centre) began as a response to patriarchal system and violence against women. It was a natural expression of assertion and had roots within deep sense of denial of subjugation of women in all walks of life. It was a natural response of women who wanted to protest and assert themselves, who wanted to secure their own rights so that they themselves could decide their own lives. They believed in working towards coming together and sharing their feelings and emotions to fight for their rights. They wanted some space where they would feel free and could build confidence within themselves to work towards achieving equal status for women as against men. It was a humble beginning and the small group began to explore the ways and means to express themselves and while doing so and trying to find the expression of it’s own, grown in size and spread.

It all began in early 80’s in the suburb of Pune city in Maharashtra, India.

It is difficult to pin-point the exact date of foundation of Stree Aadhar Kendra (SAK), though there is one official date of registration as it is registered as the Public Trust and also under Societies Registration Act. It is actually not advisable and proper to believe that such organisations begin at one particular date and it is also wrong to assume that the legal structure is the only form of such organisations. The reason mainly is that such organisations begin as the culmination of many factors and as outcome of certain processes within social field. We need to understand these processes very carefully and their role in forming the organisations such as Stree Aadhar Kendra. It is like a river flowing, formed by assimilation and contribution of different streams of different kinds and backgrounds.

The phases that SAK went through in its development can be described as under.

These are the four broad phases in the history of the work of Stree Aadhar Kendra. All these are spread over about sixteen years, and interestingly enough they roughly have the duration of three to five years each, averaging four years.   

In this period SAK was led and guided by Dr. Neelam Gorhe who is currently its Chairperson.  

Feminist Consciousness is consciousness of victimisation 
and marginalisation

Stree Aadhar Kendra always believed in awareness building and Conscientisation. The consciousness within woman about her own self and her role, her rights and her situation, her aspirations and her emotions, is what the organisation was and is concerned for. The consciousness is related to various forms of discrimination such as caste which dominates the Indian social structure in great extent.

Reordering Society away from patriarchy and towards “female values”

Reordering society towards “female values” is the driving force behind the organisation, the spirit and the reason of its existence. The programmes undertaken, the activities launched and the priorities set were in the light of this re-ordering and the efforts made towards it. These values can be said as :

SAK is a systematic expression of protest against injustice and subjugation of women

Coming together is important.  Organisation is the form of this togetherness. It is not means or tool only but the space for expressing and sharing. It is not only the body structure but the strength within, the confidence shared and the platform for collective action.

The Fourth World Conference on Women which was held in Beijing in September 1995 marked a turning point for SAK. It was closely involved in the processes before, during and after the conference.  

 In 1997-98 SAK undertook a strategic planning exercise that aimed at determining the direction the institution would take over the next 10 years.

In 1999 SAK received accreditation to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This would enable SAK to  ensure that the issues of women that it identifies at the grassroots can be taken up at the national and international forums.