Pune, September 2026: On 19 September 2026, Don Bosco Development Society, Pune, organized a Legal Awareness Training Programme for 24 women from the Ashraf Nagar community in Kondhwa, Pune, under the Women Empowerment Project supported by AXA Global Business Services. 

The session was conducted by Adv. Yasmeen Vadankatti (B.A., LL.B.), who has been practising civil law at Shivajinagar for the past 16 years, and was organized with the support of Project Coordinator Mr. Nagsen Chavan. The session aimed to strengthen women’s legal awareness, promote their rights and entitlements, and encourage greater participation in community advocacy. Adv. Yasmeen Vadankatti explained various legal issues relevant to women, including divorce and maintenance rights, marriage and Meher provisions, domestic violence, gender equality, sexual harassment at the workplace, property and inheritance rights, inter-caste marriage, Zero FIR, access to free legal aid, constitutional and civil rights, and provisions related to wages, leave, salary, maternity benefits and bonus. She also explained the basic procedures for approaching the police and seeking appropriate legal assistance when required. The session was highly interactive, with participants actively engaging in the discussion and raising questions related to their personal and family concerns, including ancestral property rights. The resource person provided clear guidance on the applicable legal provisions and encouraged the women to seek timely and appropriate legal support. A one-page information sheet on women’s legal rights and entitlements was distributed to the participants for future reference. The participants responded positively to the session and expressed their interest in attending similar programmes in the future. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Mrs. Firdos Shaikh, followed by the distribution of refreshments to the participants.