Displacement strips people of more than just property. It strips away identity, safety, and routine, leaving women and girls to bear the heaviest hidden costs. When the Sambhali Trust took the floor at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, they weren't just presenting a report. They were bringing the raw, unfiltered reality of displaced families from Rajasthan to an international stage.
The side event, titled "Desert Daughters of India 2.0 – Resilient Women, Stronger Communities" at the Palais des Nations, cut through bureaucratic noise. It put the focus squarely on what happens after families cross borders or flee harsh conditions, only to find themselves struggling to survive in the arid districts of Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.
Moving Beyond Rhetoric at the UN
Too many international panels rely on high-level jargon that changes nothing on the ground. This briefing did the opposite. Lara Delutis, Geneva Liaison and Advocacy Officer at Sambhali Trust, anchored the discussion around lived experiences rather than broad generalizations. She pointed out that when we talk about cross-border migration or displaced religious communities—particularly families who have moved from Pakistan to settle in Rajasthan—the conversation has to center on basic human dignity.
You can't fix systemic vulnerability with charity alone. You need actual structural support. That means looking at how families rebuild fractured lives when they arrive with virtually nothing.
Govind Singh Rathore, founder and voluntary ambassador of the trust, knows this firsthand. He started Sambhali back in 2007 in Jodhpur with just eighteen women. Back then, it was a modest attempt to create a safe harbor. Today, their empowerment centers across Jaisalmer teach women and girls essential survival skills:
- Sewing and embroidery handicrafts
- Basic literacy and numeracy
- Financial awareness and health education
Real change isn't theoretical. Last November alone, 109 women finished their training cycles at Sambhali's Jaisalmer hubs. More importantly, every single one walked away with a sewing machine. That's not just a gift; it's an economic tool that lets a woman generate income from her own doorstep.
The Reality of Grassroots Rehabilitation
If you've ever spent time in rural Rajasthan, you know the environment is punishing long before you factor in social displacement. Water scarcity, isolation, and deep-seated patriarchal structures make daily life an uphill battle. Add displacement to that mix, and survival becomes a 24-hour job.
Hansraj Singh Rawat, handling UN affairs and ECOSOC liaison for the trust, noted that Sambhali has used its special consultative status since 2015 to drag these exact issues into the spotlight. They aren't treating the UN as a photo-op. They use written and oral submissions to keep pressure on decision-makers regarding education access and community rights.
Art and creative expression also play a massive role in healing. Jacqueline de Chollet, founder of the Veerni Project, emphasized that economic independence means little if a young girl doesn't have the psychological safety or community backing to dream bigger than her current circumstances. Pairing creative therapy with hard economic training changes the trajectory of an entire household.
What Needs to Happen Next
Virendra Singh Chouhan, president of the trust, hit the nail on the head during his closing remarks in Geneva. Getting a woman a sewing machine or teaching a girl to read is only step one. What happens when she makes goods and has nowhere to sell them? What happens when a young girl wants to stay in school, but the nearest safe facility is miles away across treacherous terrain?
Skills require markets. Education requires physical safety. Support systems for victims of domestic or social violence need to be accessible without red tape.
Displaced women and girls in the Thar desert aren't looking for pity. They're looking for the tools to build stability on their own terms. Organizations like Sambhali are mapping out the blueprint, but translating a side event in Geneva into lasting change back home requires continuous, unyielding pressure on local and international systems alike.
Support grassroots rehabilitation before another generation loses its footing.
