Durga

What Durga does

Durga is a Bengaluru-based gender-equity nonprofit, founded in 2013 as a citizen sector initiative of I'm Every Woman Trust, that uses Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed methodology to build the capabilities of all actors in public spaces — women, men, bystanders, transport staff, police, students, and government institutions — to recognize and intervene in sexual harassment and gender-based violence. Its core programs include DARE (active bystander intervention), VOICE (youth and student-led campus safety), Women at Work (WAW), and Work with Men, supported by digital products such as the ABCD online curriculum, NGAGE virtual youth forum, VOICE-OUT online-harassment network, the Durga Card Game, and the beadurga.com POSH platform, plus publications including the Durga Feminist Dictionary, monthly Durga Dares newsletters, and annual reports. The organization operates primarily in Karnataka with a newer footprint in Assam, collaborating with government bodies (BMTC, KSRTC, BBMP, Karnataka Police) and 100+ educational institutions including JNU, Miranda House, BITS Pilani, and Jamia. Its business model is grant-funded institutional philanthropy: services are provided free of charge to participants, and revenue comes from foundation grants and program partnerships with government and educational institutions, with no commercial pricing or fee-for-service component disclosed.

Name

Durga

Legal name

I'm Every Woman Trust

Website

https://durgaindia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Durga is a Bengaluru-based nonprofit, founded in 2013 as a citizen sector initiative of I'm Every Woman Trust, that uses Theatre of the Oppressed methodology to train bystanders, women, men, students, and government and academic institutions across India to prevent sexual harassment in public spaces, funded primarily through grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Gender Equity and Women's Safety Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Safeguarding, Accountability & Compliance (ESG, Gender/GBV, Do No Harm) (BPADAEAM)

Keywords

• Gender equity programs
• Women safety training
• Bystander intervention
• Theatre of the oppressed
• Sexual harassment prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Durga operates as a nonprofit initiative of I'm Every Woman Trust and appears to be primarily funded through grants from foundations and institutional donors. No explicit donation mechanism is detailed on the website.
2. Institutional Partnerships: Collaborations with government bodies (BMTC, KSRTC, BBMP, police departments) and educational institutions for implementing gender safety programs, likely funded through grants or program partnerships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Durga is a non-profit citizen sector initiative of I'm Every Woman Trust that delivers gender equity and women's safety programs using Theatre of the Oppressed methodology. It trains active bystanders, conducts workshops in schools/colleges/workplaces, and runs awareness campaigns through flagship programs including Women at Work (WAW), Work with Men, VOICE, and DARE. The organization partners with government bodies, transport agencies, and educational institutions to build systemic capacity for addressing sexual harassment in public spaces.

Product overview

Durga India is a gender equity organization operating as a citizen sector initiative of I'm Every Woman Trust, founded in 2013. Rather than a unified technology product, Durga offers a portfolio of programs and tools centered on women's safety in public spaces through Theatre of the Oppressed methodology. Core programs include Women at Work (WAW) engaging women in workplaces, Work with Men building male allyship, VOICE working with youth in educational institutions, and DARE (Durgas Are Real Heroes Everywhere) for active bystander intervention. Supporting resources include NGAGE virtual youth forums, VOICE-OUT online harassment support, the ABCD Online Curriculum, Durga Card Game, Durga Feminist Dictionary, and beadurga.com POSH platform. Historical products include the Durga Panic Alarm piloted in BMTC buses and CAPS (Citizen Audits in Public Spaces). The organization also publishes monthly Durga Dares newsletters and annual reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women at Work (WAW) Program engaging with women in workplaces to address gender-based challenges, build confidence, and develop leadership skills through theatre-based workshops.
• Work with Men Program engaging men as active participants in enabling women's safety and gender equity, building their capacity to act as allies and bystanders.
• VOICE Program engaging with youth and students across colleges to build student-led, self-sustaining democratic communities that foster gender equality.
• DARE (Durgas Are Real Heroes Everywhere) Active bystander intervention program working with specific trained individuals to recognize and respond appropriately to situations of harassment and violence.
• Theatre of the Oppressed Workshops Theatre-based methodology used across programs to build capabilities of actors who use public spaces, fostering solidarity and action.
• Active Bystander Intervention Training approach that equips individuals to recognize risk and intervene safely in situations of harassment.
• NGAGE (Next Gen Advocates for Gender Equity) India's first virtual youth forum on gender equity, bringing young people together to discuss and drive change on gender issues.
• VOICE-OUT Pan-India virtual network tackling online harassment, providing resources and support for digital spaces.
• CAPS (Citizen Audits in Public Spaces) Program that assesses and audits public spaces for safety and accessibility.
• ABCD (Any body Can be Durga) Online Curriculum Online learning curriculum for anyone to become a Durga and learn bystander intervention skills.
• Durga Card Game Interactive card game as a tool for gender equity education and awareness building.
• beadurga.com POSH Platform POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) and gender safety platform for workplaces.
• Durga Feminist Dictionary Educational resource providing feminist definitions and terminology for gender equity education.
• Gender Curriculum for Undergraduate Students Curriculum launched in 2019 for undergraduate students on gender studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,760+ individuals trained as Durgas (active bystanders)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot partnership starting 2015 to deploy Durga Panic Alarm in BMTC buses for women's safety during public transport commutes. First-of-its-kind safety intervention in Indian public transport.
• KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing safety initiative with KSRTC Kolar including bystander intervention training for staff and reporting on safety improvements in public transport.
• BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on gender-responsive urban planning, safer public spaces, and community safety initiatives in Bangalore.
• Traffic Police BangaloreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGender sensitization workshops for traffic police personnel to build capacity for addressing harassment and supporting women's safety.
• Police Department KarnatakaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly partnerships with police and youth in colleges (2014) for community safety and awareness building.
• JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partnership for youth-led gender equity programs and campus safety initiatives.
• Miranda House (Delhi University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on gender safety programs and institutional partnerships for women's empowerment.
• Jamia Millia IslamiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partnership for gender equity programs and youth engagement initiatives.
• BITS PilanicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus safety programs and gender equity initiatives in partnership with BITS Pilani.
• Kaziranga UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partnership for gender equity programs in Assam region.
• I'm Every Woman TrustcoreOthersDurga is a citizen sector initiative of I'm Every Woman Trust, registered in 2013, which provides institutional backbone and governance.
• MS Ramiah CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation Labs collaboration starting 2015 with students to develop gender safety interventions and creative solutions.
• Rural India Support TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on engagement with school students for gender equity education.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Point of View: Mumbai-based feminist organization working on gender equity, sexual violence, and women's safety in public spaces, including the Not Just Books initiative on campus safety — comparable in Indian campus-engagement model.
• Safetipin: India-rooted women's safety platform conducting public-space safety audits (similar to Durga's CAPS program) and operating the Safetipin mobile app — direct peer on technology-enabled public-space safety for women.
• Tarshi: Delhi-based NGO working on gender, sexuality, and sexual and reproductive rights with a strong training/curriculum focus — comparable in delivering gender-sensitization curricula and bystander training.
• Jagori: India-based women's rights and gender justice NGO working on gender-based violence, sexual harassment in public spaces, and feminist capacity building — directly comparable in mission scope and Indian grassroots-delivery model.
• CREA: International women's human rights organization with India programs focused on gender-based violence, sexuality rights, and feminist movement-building; comparable in mission and gender-justice advocacy scope.
• Breakthrough India: Indian human rights organization working on gender-based violence, patriarchy, and women's safety through behavior-change campaigns and youth engagement — closest peer in bystander intervention and gender-sensitization theory of change.
• Safecity (Red Dot Foundation): India-based platform crowdsourcing reports of harassment in public spaces; closely overlaps Durga's CAPS citizen audits and bystander/digital reporting mandate.

Broad incumbents

• ActionAid India: Large Indian arm of an international feminist NGO alliance addressing violence against women and gender justice at policy and community levels — comparable on gender-justice direct-service delivery and advocacy.
• Apne Aap Women Worldwide: India-rooted, internationally-operating anti-trafficking and gender-rights organization with broader scope than Durga; useful broad-incumbent benchmark on governance, donor mix, and Indian nonprofit scaling.

Regional players

• Gender Links: Southern Africa-based organization running gender-safety and bystander intervention work (including 16 Days of Activism programming) — regional peer showing how Durga's methodology translates across geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DurgaIndia1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClRw1yNoa3-AGEmalTdQNRw
• Facebookfacebook.com/beadurga
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/durga-i-am-every-woman
• Instagraminstagram.com/durgaindiaofficial?utm_medium=copy_link

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Durga