An NGO named PENN-Protection and Empowerment of Naree was launched in Chennai a couple of years ago by five chennaites from different backgrounds. The present trustees are VS Sridhar, senior corporate leader who has been championing the cause of women’s safety since 2012, Sriram Sharma, theatre director, music composer and playwright, Swarnalatha Mahesh, Advocate specialising in women and child safety and Sathyan, entrepreneur, event manager, music and art educator.
They have been creating awareness through musical theatre plays on the legendary Velu Nachiyar to prevent child marriages. They have held workshops on self defense techniques and cyber security and have imparted training to students in schools, colleges in self defense to prevent sexual abuse of women in educational institutions and in work places. They have also been creating awareness on social media platforms on how to avoid cyberbullying and other issues.
The NGO commemorated their second anniversary on the 5th of March in a hotel in Chennai and launched a new advisory board comprising retired DGP SR Jangid, former judge of the Madras High Court, Justice Prabha Sridevan, retired additional chief secretary, D.Sabitha, vocalist P.Unnikrishnan, cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, actress Revathy. Kamala Selvaraj of GG Hospitals and senior consultant of UNESCO, Venkatraman.
Playback singer KS Chitra was the guest of honour at the event. She sang the anthem for PENN that was released that day.
