Today we wanted to take a short break from all the happy wedding celebrations and glamorous planning to talk to you about a new anti-domestic abuse campaign in India. Save Our Sisters (SOS), an initiative of Save Our Children, works against human trafficking and child and domestic abuse. They’ve teamed up with the advertising agency Taproot to put out the following series of images:
The goddesses chosen (in order: Saraswati, Durga, and Lakshmi) are cornerstones of the Hindu faith. Saraswati represents wisdom and the arts. Durga is the proud warrior goddess and one of the faces of the multiform Parvati, the mother goddess. Lakshmi is Vishnu’s consort and ensures wealth and prosperity for the household. They, like women everywhere, are key to the preservation of the community.
The models for each image were styled in the likeness of a Devi with cuts, bruises, and tears. Their backgrounds and faces were also painted to look like Hindu paintings.
With the tag-line, “Pray that we never see this day,” SOS aligns the causes of battered women with their Devi counterparts. In Hinduism, the goddess is sacred and all women are considered goddesses on Earth. Yet India, like many other countries in the world, is not free from domestic violence and abuse.
In a study from 2012 published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine, of the 14,000 Indian women surveyed over 18 different states and from every social class at least 39% are survivors of domestic abuse. The range of domestic violence survivors, which varies from state to state, can be anywhere from 6-60% of women surveyed.
The study found that some of the major factors that seem to influence domestic abuse are poverty, lack of education, and addictive behavior (gambling, alcohol and drug abuse).
If you or anyone you know is a survivor of domestic violence and abuse (male or female), please call your local helpline.
Hot Peach Pages has a comprehensive guide to domestic abuse hotlines, help services, clinics, crisis centers, and womens’ centers for almost every country in the world. They also have access to a series of domestic abuse help guides in over 100 languages. Just select your continent and then click the country you live in.
Here’s the short list for Indian domestic abuse help services:
- Jagori -women’s training, documentation, communication and resource centre.
- Contact: B-114, Shivalik, Malviya Nagar NEW DELHI 110 017
- Phone: 011 26691219 & 2669 1220
- Victim Services: a counseling center and support group for women survivors of violence.
- Helpline: 011 2669 2700 (Mon-Fri, 9.30-5.30). Email: helpline@jagori.org
- Sakshi: Delhi. A Violence Intervention for Women and Children — works on sexual harassment, sexual assault, child sexual abuse and domestic violence.
- Address: B-67 South Extension Part-1, First Floor, New Delhi-110065.
- Phone: 4643946/4623295 Email: s.sakshi@mailcity.com
- Women’s Rights Initiative:runs a pro bono legal aid cell for domestic violence cases and are also associated with law reforms in the area of domestic violence.
- Address: First floor, Masjid road, Jungpura, New Delhi.
- Phone: 4316925 / 4313904 / 432101. Email: wri@vsnl.net.
- Majlis, Bombay. (Flavia, Veena or Saumya) – 618 0394
- SNEHA:works to empower women/children in poor urban communities. SNEHA’s Center for Vulnerable Women and Children specifically provides services (including counseling, legal assistance and community organizing) to women and children experiencing domestic violence.
- Crisis Helpline: (+91 22) 2404 0045 Phone: (+91 22) 2404 2627 / 2408 6011
- Head Office Address: 310, 3rd Floor, Urban Health Center,60 Feet Road, Dharavi, Mumbai 400 017
- Swaadhar, Bombay. (Jyoi Kelkar) – 872 0638
- International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC), Chennai.
- Crisis-line +91 44 43111143; email:pcvc2000@yahoo.com
- SNEHA( Madras): voluntary organization offering emotional support to the lonely, depressed and suicidal. SNEHA is open 365 days a year and services are free.
- Visit– 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 11, Park View Road, R.A. Puram, Chennai 600028
- Phone: 044-24650050- 24 HOURS A DAY
- Vimochana: Helps women with issues ranging from domestic violencesexual harassment at work.
- Services: counseling, service provision, education/outreach, mobilizing/organizing,activism.
- 2124 16th B Main 1-A Cross, HAL IInd Stage, Bangalore 560038.
- Phone: (city code = 80) 526 9307.
- Anweshi Women’s Counselling Centre: near YWCA, Cannanore Road, Kozhikode 673 001.
- Runs a counseling, mediation and resource center for women in an abusive situation.
- If writing to them, please enclose a self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage.
- Sachetna, 31, Mahairban Road, Calcutta.
- Socio-Legal Aid Research and Training Center: P-112 Lake Terrace, Calcutta.
- Pragatisheel Mahila Manch:11 N. Ho Chi Minh Road, Sarania, Behala, Calcutta 700 061.
- Swayam located at 9/2 B Deodar Street, Kolkata 700019.
- Phone: 2486 3367, 2486 3378, 2486 3357 Email: swayam@cal.vsnl.net.in
Here are a some national suicide, abuse, abortion, depression, and rape/assault helplines and hotlines in the US, UK, and Australia:
US
- Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696
- Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433
- LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255
- Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
- Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743
- Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438
- Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673
- Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272
- Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000
- Exhale: After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253
- Child Abuse: 1-800-422-4453
UK
- Samaritans (for any problem): 08457909090 (e-mail: jo@samaritans.org)
- Childline (for anyone under 18 with any problem): 08001111
- Mind infoline (mental health information): 0300 123 3393 (e-mail: info@mind.org.uk)
- Mind legal advice (for people who need mental-health related legal advice): 0300 466 6463 (email: legal@mind.org.uk)
- b-eat eating disorder support: 0845 634 14 14 (only open Mon-Fri 10.30am-8.30pm and Saturday 1pm-4.30pm) (e-mail: help@b-eat.co.uk)
- b-eat youthline (for under 25’s with eating disorders): 08456347650 (open Mon-Fri 4.30pm – 8.30pm, Saturday 1pm-4.30pm)
- Cruse Bereavement Care: 08444779400 (e-mail: helpline@cruse.org.uk)
- Frank (information and advice on drugs): 0800776600
- Drinkline: 0800 9178282
- Rape Crisis England & Wales: 0808 802 9999 1(open 2 – 2.30pm 7 – 9.30pm) (e-mail: info@rapecrisis.org.uk)
- Rape Crisis Scotland: 08088 01 03 02 every day, 6pm to midnight
Australia
- Ambulance/Fire/Police: 000
- NSW Mental health line: 1800 011 511
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Kids help line: 1800 55 1800
- Beyondblue info line: 1300 22 4636
- SANE Australia: 1800 18 SANE (7263)
- Salvo Crisis Line (suicide prevention): 02 9331 2000
- Salvo Youth Line: 02 9360 3000
- Salvo Care Line: (02) 9331 6000
- Child Abuse Prevention Services: 02 9716 8000 or 1800 688 009
- Family Crisis Service (after hours only): 02 9622 0522 or 02 9622 0313
- Men’s Line Australia: 1300 78 99 78
- Suicide Call Back Service (18+): 1300 659 467
- Headspace: 1800 659 388 or 8931 5999
- There’s also a bunch of other phone numbers and websites on http: //www.health.nt.gov.au/Hotlines_and_Helplines/index.aspx and http: //www.youthbeyondblue.com/get-help/phone-help-lines/
The SOS site has been totally overloaded with people visiting it. To read more, you can see the cached page, or visit Save the Children India website.
Sources: Indian Journal of Community Medicine and Help Stop Domestic Abuse