Use Aarogya Setu App to Fight Domestic Abuse During the Lockdown #SetuFightAbuse

Use Aarogya Setu App to Fight Domestic Abuse During the Lockdown #SetuFightAbuse

The Issue

The screams remain muffled inside the house. Silenced. With no escape. 

The lockdown brings different horrors to different people. With women locked away with their husbands, domestic abuse has increased in our country. Unfortunately, domestic abuse remains a tragic reality for many women even under ‘normal’ circumstances - the nationwide lockdown has made it worse. 

But if you know of any person who survived domestic abuse, you are likely to have heard of her running away. How does a victim escape in a lockdown? Women who could earlier access a helpline or escape the house are unable to do so now due to the lack of privacy and transportation. 

Aarogya Setu is the Government of India's mobile application developed to proactively communicate risks, best practices, and relevant advisories pertaining to the containment of COVID-19.

Since the app is available in 12 languages and has been downloaded by more than 7 crores (70 million) Indians, it will have a large reach amongst a wider audience.

We are asking the Government o extend the functionality of the  Government of India’s Aarogya Setu mobile application to include an alert for women to reach out for help.

  1. The precision tracking feature of the app could be used to identify the household where help is needed.
  2. The app allows users to volunteer in the time of need. These volunteers could reach out to the domestic abuse victims in their vicinity. Alternatively, Zomato has already adopted the Aarogya Setu app through its large network of delivery agents. These agents who travel neighborhoods can also be leveraged for this task.
  3. The existing infrastructure of helplines and safe centers run by the National Commission for Women, police, and NGOs working in the domain of domestic abuse, can be used to receive the alerts, assign the volunteers, guide them and follow up with them.
  4. The user could also be given an option to notify her trusted circle of contacts.

For a vulnerable woman fighting abuse, a one-click alert getting the nearest personnel or volunteer to knock at her door could mean an escape- from the house or the situation, whichever she chooses. It will also let the abusers know that others can hear them and will act to interrupt the violence.

Sign our petition asking the Government to urgently provide interventions in the Aarogya Setu app to assist women fighting domestic abuse

We need to stand together and raise our voice for women who remain silenced in locked houses and need help #SetuFightAbuse

avatar of the starter
Meru VashishtPetition StarterMeru and Arushi are human-centered designers who believe that gender equality is essential and are on a mission to help women feel empowered.

34,948

The Issue

The screams remain muffled inside the house. Silenced. With no escape. 

The lockdown brings different horrors to different people. With women locked away with their husbands, domestic abuse has increased in our country. Unfortunately, domestic abuse remains a tragic reality for many women even under ‘normal’ circumstances - the nationwide lockdown has made it worse. 

But if you know of any person who survived domestic abuse, you are likely to have heard of her running away. How does a victim escape in a lockdown? Women who could earlier access a helpline or escape the house are unable to do so now due to the lack of privacy and transportation. 

Aarogya Setu is the Government of India's mobile application developed to proactively communicate risks, best practices, and relevant advisories pertaining to the containment of COVID-19.

Since the app is available in 12 languages and has been downloaded by more than 7 crores (70 million) Indians, it will have a large reach amongst a wider audience.

We are asking the Government o extend the functionality of the  Government of India’s Aarogya Setu mobile application to include an alert for women to reach out for help.

  1. The precision tracking feature of the app could be used to identify the household where help is needed.
  2. The app allows users to volunteer in the time of need. These volunteers could reach out to the domestic abuse victims in their vicinity. Alternatively, Zomato has already adopted the Aarogya Setu app through its large network of delivery agents. These agents who travel neighborhoods can also be leveraged for this task.
  3. The existing infrastructure of helplines and safe centers run by the National Commission for Women, police, and NGOs working in the domain of domestic abuse, can be used to receive the alerts, assign the volunteers, guide them and follow up with them.
  4. The user could also be given an option to notify her trusted circle of contacts.

For a vulnerable woman fighting abuse, a one-click alert getting the nearest personnel or volunteer to knock at her door could mean an escape- from the house or the situation, whichever she chooses. It will also let the abusers know that others can hear them and will act to interrupt the violence.

Sign our petition asking the Government to urgently provide interventions in the Aarogya Setu app to assist women fighting domestic abuse

We need to stand together and raise our voice for women who remain silenced in locked houses and need help #SetuFightAbuse

avatar of the starter
Meru VashishtPetition StarterMeru and Arushi are human-centered designers who believe that gender equality is essential and are on a mission to help women feel empowered.

The Decision Makers

Rekha Sharma
Rekha Sharma
Chairperson, National Commission for Women
Responded
Dear Citizens, The lockdown brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic has made life difficult for women living in abusive relationships. The National Commission for Women recorded a two-fold rise in gender-based violence. We have received 727 complaints via WhatsApp from a total of 1,476 complaints between 25th March to 31st May, 2020. The numbers could be higher. It saddens us that the number of reported domestic violence cases in India has been increasing week by week. I wish to assure Meru and Arushi, and all the supporters of their petition on Change.org that the National Commission for Women is standing with each one of you. We believe that in uncertain times like these, it is imperative to give survivors access to all possible avenues to report abuse and seek help. Digital tools and innovative technologies can be extremely effective and assume greater relevance in such times. As an immediate step, the National Commission for Women launched a WhatsApp number for women to report cases online. I endorse the idea proposed by Meru and Arushi of using the government’s Aarogya Setu app to fight domestic abuse so that women who need help can be rescued and receive the state’s support immediately. Given that the app’s reach to more than 8 crore Indians who have downloaded it, this initiative will also help us raise awareness on the issue. It could prove to be a gamechanger in the fight against domestic violence during the pandemic. I congratulate Meru and Arushi for running this campaign and hope that their idea will help many women who remain silenced in abusive homes. I would like you to remain updated about the work the National Commission for Women is doing during the pandemic and after. Please follow us on Twitter @NCWIndia to stay updated with our various initiatives. Thank you, Rekha Sharma Chairperson, National Commission for Women
National Informatics Centre
National Informatics Centre
Ministry Of Electronics and Information Technology
Ministry Of Electronics and Information Technology
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Ravi Shankar Prasad
Ravi Shankar Prasad
Union Minister Electronics and Information Technology

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