Centre for Equality and Inclusion

Sara Abdullah Pilot, a social worker, co-founded CEQUIN with Lora Krishnamurthi Prabhu in 2009. The organisation's goals include empowerment of women and girls to enable them to lead a life of dignity, exercise their choices and develop their capacities.

CEQUIN is one of the first NGOs to start working with men and boys from a gender equity framework since 2009. CEQUIN partnered with the cricket team Delhi Daredevils in a unique campaign called 'Respect Women Respect Delhi' and in 2015 embarked on the Mardo Wali Baat campaign. We engage with men and boys through series of gender sensitisation trainings, leadership workshops, public service messaging, work closely with media and encourage them to spread awareness on topics such as the importance of sharing the household workload, ending sexual harassment of women and girls, gender equality etc.

CEQUIN conducted cutting edge research and advocacy on gender based violence in public spaces in 2010, leading to the organizing of a National Level Conference in partnership with NCW and UNDP on the issue, followed by the publication of the book “The Fear that Stalks” by Zubaan Books in 2012. Many of the recommendations flagged by CEQUIN were incorporated in the Justice Verma Committee Report and the Criminal Law Amendment Act. CEQUIN was selected as one of the NGOs to run the Awaz Uthao Campaign pilot project by the Govt of NCT Delhi.

CEQUIN pioneered the sports for development model for adolescent girls’ empowerment using football in 2011 and our successful models have been implemented in Delhi and Haryana. CEQUIN's girls have gone up to play at the state and national level. They are working as certified coaches, referees and school teachers. CEQUIN became the convener of the National Alliance for Women's Football in India and Sara Abdullah Pilot was appointed as Chairperson of the Women's Committee at the AIFF in 2014. We have been instrumental in bring the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2020 to India.

CEQUIN has been an active member of critical networks and have engaged in policy advocacy at the highest level. We have been an integral part of many networks over the years including the Planning Commission Working Group (2013–14), Working group of High level committee of the 12th Five Year Plan of the Government of India on Status of women report 2015, Crime Against Women Cell Headquarters of SPUWAC, Malviya Nagar network group collectively advocating with the Delhi Police,[1] Mahila Panchayat Network across Delhi, Aman Network, a group of Delhi NGOs who are a part of the One Billion Rising Campaign etc. to name a few. CEQUIN along with like minded organisation met with Lieutenant Governor of New Delhi Shri Najeeb Jung to discuss how to ensure how best to protect the well-being of women in the city.[2]

CEQUIN partnered with a NGO UMEED in 2014 to give deprived women in India electric rickshaw as a way to increase their potential for economic opportunity.[3]

In March 2015, WowMen Awards event was organised, to honor men for their stellar work for issues pertaining to increase in women empowerment. The event was held at The Leela Palace in New Delhi.The men honored at the event included boxer Mary Kom's husband K Onler Kom, Rahul Bose, Subhash Mendhapurkar, Fraz Gastler, Vikas Bahl, Nobel Peace Prize-winner Malala Yousafzai's father Ziauddin Yousafzai and Rishi Kant.

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