Manavi, Inc

Manavi (meaning “primal woman” in Sanskrit) is a tax-exempt and not-for-profit organization that was founded in February 1985. Six South Asian women founded Manavi as a consciousness-raising group. Within a short time, demands for help from battered women changed the focus of this budding organization. Manavi became a pragmatic organization determined to put theory into practice. It is the first organization in the U.S. to concentrate on the issue of violence against women in the South Asian immigrant community. Although Manavi is located and works with South Asian women who reside in New Jersey, its focus is also national and international. Manavi is an organization for South Asian women, with a mission to end violence against women and assist women to progress toward self-reliance and autonomy.