A double pandemic on the rise

While on regular days, my office work provided respite, during the lockdown, it became intolerable. I reached out to a neighbour for help.
Screen grabs from the videos
Screen grabs from the videos

CHENNAI: Since the implementation of the first lockdown in March, Parameshwari Renganathan*, a BPO worker and  resident of Sholinganallur was at the receiving end of physical abuse from her father-in-law. “My husband passed away a few years ago, and after that, I’ve been living with my father-in-law to take care of him. Until my husband was alive, he protected me from the misogynistic attitude of his father. But now, I’ve to endure physical and verbal abuse.

While on regular days, my office work provided respite, during the lockdown, it became intolerable. I reached out to a neighbour for help. She stepped in and warned my father-in-law that she would lodge a police complaint if he continued abusing me. He was ashamed, and hasn’t troubled me ever since. My neighbour regularly checks in on me now and I feel safe,” shares the 37-year-old.

Over the past few months, as the coronavirus pandemic spread its ugly tentacles, a ‘shadow pandemic’ (as described by the UN), in the form of gender-based violence and abuse, has been shrouding households across the globe, rendering several people helpless. “A few of my friends who are also undergoing similar abuse or worse told me that I was ‘lucky’ to have had someone step up for me. In most cases, no one helps because it is a ‘family matter’. Not many ask for help either. This should change,” adds Parameshwari.

In an attempt to address the dire situation and help those who are being silenced behind the closed doors of their homes, NGOs, helplines and police personnel have been working tirelessly. Aware India, an NGO led by gender-rights activist Sandhiyan Thilagavathy has been doing its bit by reaching out to netizens, through their latest video series SafEd Talks. “Since the lockdown, we have been working towards opening dialogues about different integral topics including sex education, online harassment and so on.

As part of that, we decided to address the rising cases of domestic abuse during the lockdown by sharing educational videos about it. The aim was to equip, enable oneself and others to think and act during such situations. One of the major aspects we wanted to focus on was how a bystander can help a victim,” he says. With a major population spending their time on social media, sharing videos loaded with statistics, helpline numbers and self-defence tips seemed like the best way for the NGO to start the conversation.

“We wanted to not only educate the netizens but also break the stigma around it — starting from our own volunteers and their families. Change starts from within. So, we started creating content, sharing them with our volunteers, asked them to self-record it and send it to us. It was later edited and published on our social media pages. It received a very good response,” he shares.

The focus of the video series is to create a safe space while adjusting to the new normal. “Just because we are all stepping into a new normal does not mean that one has to compromise on their mental-wellbeing and safety. While living in a pandemic-fanned scenario, we should also think of ways to tackle the problems. Through these videos, we want to showcase the magnitude of domestic violence while coming up with solutions to tackle it,” he says.

The NGO has also been receiving several calls from victims. “We have been directing the requests to 181 — the government’s helpline for women. Most helplines have been operating with limited workforce and at this juncture, everyone should take it upon themselves to be responsible and help anyone who is going through domestic violence or abuse. The videos are a small step in that direction,” he says. SafEd Talk videos are shared twice a week in English and Tamil. For more details, visit Facebook Page Aware India.

Helplines
The National Commission for Women: 7217735372
National Women Helpline: 1091
Sakhi One Stop Center: 181
Dhwani by PCVC: 43111143/18001027282
Aware India: 8122241688

Statistics (March 24 to May 31)
13,447
complaints received during the lockdown in Tamil Nadu
No. of cases in Chennai: 45
Coimbatore: 257
Salem: 143
Tirupur: 105
86 per cent of women, who witnessed abuse never sought support (Source: NCW)
77 per cent women have not told anyone about the abuse

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