#stopviolence

Quote: “When citizens become afraid to speak, society stops healing. And when society stops listening, fear becomes stronger than truth.” – Aniruddh Sarkar, Voice Of Digi Bengal, Kolkata, India

Title: “Domestic Fear, Social Silence, and the Rise of Public Anxiety in India” – Aniruddh Sarkar, Voice Of Digi Bengal, Kolkata, India

I recently came across an incredibly useful guide on how to prevent assaults. Finally, something we all really need these days!

• Don’t slip drugs into people’s drinks to control their behavior.

• When you see someone walking alone, just leave them alone.

• If you stop to help someone with a broken car, remember not to assault them.

• When you’re in an elevator and someone else gets in – don’t assault that person.

• When you come across someone asleep, the safest option is not to assault them.

• Never sneak into someone’s house through an open door or window, don’t jump out from between parked cars – and don’t assault that person.

• Remember, people go to the laundry room to do laundry. Don’t try to assault someone who is alone there.

• If you can’t stop yourself from assaulting people, ask a friend to accompany you in public.

• Carry a whistle. If you’re afraid you might accidentally assault someone, blow it until someone comes to stop you.

• Don’t forget that honesty is the best policy. Don’t pretend to be a caring friend just to gain someone’s trust before assaulting them. Consider telling them your intentions – if you don’t, they might think you’re not planning an assault.

This painting is personal and very close to my heart. It's about being a woman in a society that makes her feel small and powerless. She's crushed and humilliated, but Courage never stops speaking to her. With Courage, she can never really be defeated.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

A gente tenta ser

O que as vezes não conseguimos ser

Tentamos suprir expectativas

Em cima dos que nos amam

E muitas vezes o amor machuca

E muitas vezes nos machucamos por amor

Sorrir nem sempre quer dizer felicidade

E chorar nem sempre quer dizer tristeza

Tem culpa e anseio

Nossos pais esperavam que a geração 90 fosse o ápice

Mas viramos o ápice

Das quebras de tabus

Dos antigos costumes

De coisas que nem imaginávamos

De coisas que ainda temos a ultrapassar

Uns brincam e acham besteira

A atitude do jovem

Que suplica respeito e igualdade

Necessitamos de muito tempo

Pra mudar marcas e modos

Trejeitos da criação marcada

Por atitudes que não nos convém

Somos apelidados de vagabundos

Sem educação

Mal caráter

Sem noção

Sendo que em apenas um clique

As ferramentas de pesquisas

Nos mostram

Médicos anestesistas

Mandando remédio pra europa

Pra matar e abusar de crianças

Vemos o cartel ser liderado

Pela milícia, fascista, egoísta, narcisista

Que também são pais e mães

São os chefes de estado

Bebendo miséria com suas famílias

E mesmo assim somos nós

Os perigosos e insultados

Por fazermos da escuridão

Motivo de alarme

Não vamos descansar

Enquanto o descaso

Persistir em machucar minha comunidade

Liderada pelo tráfico

Falta de luz e água

Assaltos

O professor que recebe um salário mínimo

E que mesmo assim não desiste

Porque ele acredita

Que se investissem

O dinheiro de forma correta

O ator do teatro teria sua carteira assinada

O menor que roubou o telefone da senhorinha na parada

Poderia ter sido diferente se tivesse vaga na escola

E também se sua mãe não fosse covardemente assassinada

Somos egoístas ao ponto de dizer

Que nada disso acontece

Vai ter os que pensam que isso é coisa da minha cabeça

QUEM ME DERA!

Poder escrever sobre paixão

Sobre cantores e sobre o quanto lugar bonito tem pra conhecer

Mas eu não consigo

Algo me força a dizer

E eu vou continuar expondo

“It’s weird how you can actually feel it in your chest & stomach when something really hurts your feelings.”

Is staying home really "Safe" during the Pandemic?

Oh yes, it would help prevent you from getting infected with COVID-19.

But what about the infection named, Domestic Violence?!

 With the cases of pandemic increasing, so is the crises within the walls! Not only did the workload rise with each of the household members being inside the four walls, with limited or no domestic assistance, staying on heels from dawn till dusk, but also they are being subjected to violence.

 “Widespread stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of COVID-19 meant millions of women across the globe were locked in with their abusers, creating dangerous conditions for violence against women, often with tragic consequences,” the report published by the United Nations on November 24, 2021, said.

 Domestic violence has invariably been a vicious manifestation catalysed by monetary matters, mental stress, fear, a sense of being the above one, induced by the systemic patriarchy, bestowing an engine start to increased cases of abuse. The sense of drastic isolation, financial and medical anxiety has heightened the anguish within residences.

 Violence against Women is being used as an escape route from the reality and pressure of pandemic, steering to both physical and mental health problems in women.

 Although the patriarchal structure has eternally told women to stay low, obey and deal with everything they receive, it's only the right thing to not stay put and raise our voices as one. Although there are several vaccines for COVID-19, the only vaccine for Domestic Violence against women is to stand for oneself and the people around us.

 Everyone in the world is facing a pandemic, abusers aren't the only ones! Let's deal with it effectively without becoming a cause of another pandemic.