In 2002 Manavi held its first groundbreaking national conference called Aarohan, which in Hindi means "ascent or rising up." The purpose of Aarohan is to provide a space where individuals and organizations who are working to end violence against women in the South Asian community can come together to share their experiences and support each other through their journey.

With almost 27 South Asian Women's Organizations (SAWOs) in America and new ones developing annually, Aarohan provides a unique forum where everyone can come together to create new channels of communication, promote leadership, share unique perspectives and forge alliances to effectively address the crucial issue of violence against women.

Aarohan is funded through a generous grant from the Office of Violence against Women in the US Department of Justice, and has been held in 2002, 2003 and 2005. It is a 2 ½ day conference that consists of 12 workshops and discussions. Past workshops have included such topics as the role of culture in stopping violence against women initiatives, legal needs of South Asian survivors and fundraising strategies for sustaining grassroots work.