As a woman growing up in India, Seema Nair experienced first-hand the country’s deeply entrenched gender inequalities and violence. From a young age she knew she wanted to change this: she now works for the Fund for Global Human Rights, organising programmes for women to help them gain the knowledge and the power to take control of their lives. She describes how survivors of sexual violence in India are beginning to speak out about their experiences, and leading other women in the fight to change society

Photograph: Jaipur Domestic Workers Union/The Fund for Global Human Rights