What Swayam does

Swayam is a feminist non-profit organization founded in 1995 in Kolkata, India, with a 30-year operational history focused on ending discrimination and violence against women and girls. It delivers a two-track program: direct support services to survivors — including one-to-one counseling and psychotherapy, legal advice and aid, police follow-up, career counseling, vocational training referrals, drop-in centre access, and services for survivors' children and families — alongside preventive strategies such as community mobilization, men's and boys' engagement, youth programs, public campaigns, and capacity-building training for government, educational, and corporate institutions. The organization operates three physical centers — the Hazra Support Centre in urban Kolkata, the Metiabruz Community Centre in an urban-poor minority area, and the Diamond Harbour Community Centre covering five rural panchayats — supported by a mobile campaign van introduced in 2016. The 48-member team is supplemented by seven consultants in legal, mental health, theatre, music, dance, and library domains.

Swayam runs a portfolio of survivor-led creative groups — the Theatre Group (since 1997), Jhankaar music group (since 2006), the Prayas quarterly magazine (since 1998), and the Nari Adhikar Pratistha Mancha collective — that convert survivors into public-awareness agents. Community programs include Nari Suraksha Committees in Diamond Harbour, Insaaf ki Awaaz action groups in Metiabruz, and the YUVA youth program. Swayam also initiated the AMAN international network against domestic violence, which now spans 150 member organizations across 18 Indian states, and is a member of MAITREE, BHABNA, SANGAT, FEM, RACSHA, and the Right to Food Network.

The business model is philanthropic: Swayam is a registered public charitable trust under the Indian Trusts Act and the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA), with 80G tax exemption. Revenue is sourced from named institutional funders — Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives, Oak Foundation, AVON Foundation, Mission Inclusion, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, and Calcutta Ondoan — alongside individual donations and foreign contributions. All services to beneficiaries are provided free of cost; revenue is generated only indirectly via corporate training engagements (e.g., IDEA Cellular, Khaitan & Co.) and capacity-building programs. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Swayam

Legal name

Swayam

Website

https://swayam.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swayam is a 30-year-old feminist non-profit based in Kolkata, India, providing free direct support services — counseling, legal aid, vocational training, and family/children's services — to women survivors of violence, alongside community mobilization, awareness campaigns, and survivor-led creative groups across urban and rural West Bengal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Rights and Gender-Based Violence Support Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Gender-based violence support
• Women empowerment services
• Domestic violence counselling
• Feminist community organizing
• Gender equality advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Kolkata

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: Swayam is registered as a public charitable trust and relies on donations from individuals and organizations to support its operations and programs for survivors of violence against women.
2. Institutional Funding from Foundations: The organization receives funding from philanthropic foundations including Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives, Mission Inclusion, Oak Foundation, AVON Foundation, Calcutta Ondoan, and Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies to support its programs and services.
3. Foreign Contributions (FCRA): Swayam is registered under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) and receives international contributions which are reported quarterly, indicating compliance with Indian regulatory requirements for foreign funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Swayam is a feminist non-profit that provides free direct support services to women survivors of violence—including one-to-one counselling, psychotherapy, legal advice and aid, police follow-up, career counselling, vocational training, shelter referrals, and a drop-in centre. It complements this with preventive strategies through community mobilization (women's groups, men's groups, youth programs), survivor-led creative groups (theatre, music, magazine), public education campaigns via a mobile campaign van, films and posters, and capacity-building training for government institutions, corporates, and NGOs.

Product overview

Swayam is a feminist NGO offering a comprehensive suite of services to end violence against women, comprising Direct Support Services (counselling, legal aid, police follow-up, vocational training, drop-in centre), survivor-led creative groups (Theatre Group, Jhankaar Music Group, Prayas Magazine, Nari Adhikar Pratistha Mancha), community mobilisation programmes (Nari Suraksha Committees in rural Diamond Harbour, Insaaf ki Awaaz in urban Metiabruz, YUVA Youth Programme), awareness tools (Mobile Campaign Van, Films, Posters, Publications, Women's Resource Directories), and capacity building training for institutions. The portfolio is centred on survivor empowerment and community-led prevention of gender-based violence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jhankaar (Music Group): Music group conceptualized in 2006, delivering public performances as part of awareness programmes and campaigns on violence against women
• Theatre Group
• Prayas
• Nari Adhikar Pratistha Mancha (NAPM)
• YUVA
• Nari Suraksha Committees (NSC)
• Insaaf ki Awaaz

Products and services

• Direct Support Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of women survivors describe an increase in confidence, decision-making abilities, responsibility towards oneself, and reduction in isolation after using Swayam's services
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AMAN: Global Voices for Peace in the HomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMAN is an international network initiated by Swayam on December 6, 2006, to end domestic violence. The network now has 150 member organizations across 18 states in India and collaborates on advocacy, capacity building, and driving institutional change. Swayam continues to be a core member driving the network's mission.
• MAITREEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAITREE is a network of NGOs, autonomous women's organisations and women's rights activists from West Bengal. Swayam has been an active member since its inception in 1996, collaborating on women's rights issues at the state level.
• BHABNAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHABNA is a grassroots network started by Swayam, working to tackle child marriage, child trafficking, child labour and child school dropouts with organisations and individuals across West Bengal.
• SANGATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSANGAT is a South Asian feminist network of women peace activists and trainers focusing on human rights, justice, peace and democracy. Swayam is part of the core team and conducts a two-country 15-day training in collaboration with SANGAT and Prograshor.
• Forum to Engage Men (FEM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEM is an India-wide network working with boys and men to make them responsible for a gender just and equitable society. Swayam is a member organisation contributing to this male engagement strategy.
• RACSHAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRACSHA is a network of organisations and individuals working for the prevention, recognition and healing of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. Swayam is currently part of the core team.
• Right to Food NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn informal network of organisations committed to the realisation of the right to food in India, with Swayam as a member organisation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MARG: Multiple Action Research Group is a Bangalore-based feminist organization working on women's rights, gender justice, and VAW. Comparable in combining direct service, research, and advocacy with feminist movement orientation.
• CREA: Creating Resources for Empowerment and Action is a Delhi-based feminist human rights organization working on gender equality, sexual rights, and ending violence against women. Comparable in advocacy focus, training programs, and national network orientation.
• Sanhita: Kolkata-based NGO addressing gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and women's rights. Highly comparable due to overlapping geographic footprint in West Bengal, similar service mix, and shared networks such as MAITREE.
• MASUM: Mahila Sarvangeen Utkarsh Mandal is a Pune-based feminist organization working on rural women's rights, domestic violence, and gender justice. Comparable in combining direct service with grassroots mobilization in rural communities.
• Jagori: Delhi-based feminist NGO working to end violence against women through direct support services, community mobilization, and advocacy. Highly comparable to Swayam in mission, survivor-centered approach, and service portfolio, operating in a different geography.
• Akshara Centre: Mumbai-based women's resource center working on gender equality, violence against women, and women's empowerment. Comparable in offering direct services, legal aid, and community awareness programs, though focused on Maharashtra.
• Vimochana: Bangalore-based feminist organization founded in 1980 working on violence against women, women's rights, and gender equality. Comparable in mission, age, and direct-service-plus-advocacy model, though operating in South India.

Emerging players

• CEHAT: Center for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes, Mumbai-based, focuses on health and gender-based violence through research and interventions. Comparable in evidence-based approach to VAW and research publications, overlapping with Swayam's knowledge-development work.
• Breakthrough: India-based human rights organization using media, arts, and campaigns to address gender-based violence and discrimination. Partially comparable through its arts-based and masculinity-focused 'Soch Badlein' style campaigns, though broader in scope.

Broad incumbents

• ActionAid India: Large international NGO with significant women's rights programming spanning multiple states and thematic areas including VAW. Comparable in mission focus but operates at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Swayam.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/swayamkolkata
• Facebookfacebook.com/endingviolenceagainstwomen
• Instagraminstagram.com/swayamkolkata

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Swayam