ACTIVISM -1
So many women’s organisations all over the world are on hyper-drive right now
“The best thing you can do right now is support NGOs and charities on social media. Of course, you can also donate money to organizations if you have the means, but if you do not have financial stability then even just sharing and liking social media posts or attending online events such as webinars can help out organizations that are struggling. NGOs are often dependent on funders and have to prove year after year why we they are relevant and still needed. Of course they also have to show that they are actually doing something useful. During this pandemic, charity organizations and NGOs are really struggling to fulfill what was promised to funders since physical events are not a possibility for the foreseeable future. That means they are trying to ramp up their influence through social media actions and campaigns. Once those campaigns, and also online events, are over, the effectiveness is measured by how many people were reached. How many people viewed the facebook post? How often was it shared? How many people attended that webinar? In the end it is just a cold, hard numbers game and the higher the numbers, the happier the funders.
So many women’s organisations all over the world are on hyper-drive right now. It’s really amazing to see how quickly different civil society organizations have come together to share information. I especially applaud the women’s organisations and shelters of Asia, who have been dealing with this pandemic since January and who have now stepped up to share their best practices with the rest of the world. The solidarity is really encouraging to see.
This pandemic is terrifying on its own, but imagine being stuck at home with someone who harms you physically and/or mentally as well. This reality is something that many women are living with right now and it is being confirmed by a massive rise in calls for assistance directed to women’s helplines. The first statistics coming out of France have already confirmed an at least 30% rise in phone calls to women’s helplines.
It is very important to be aware of this situation, but how can you help? Find out about the women’s support services in your country and share the information that they are sharing on social media. This could be a women’s helpline or a women’s network. You could check out the members page from the WAVE Network (Women Against Violence Europe), for example: wave-network.org/wave-members
The WAVE Step Up! campaign is sharing country-specific information in response to the pandemic so they are definitely worth a follow on facebook (facebook.com/wavestepup) and Instagram (instagram.com/stepup.eu).
Second, if you hear or suspect someone being threatened or harmed in your neighborhood, call the police or the helpline closest to you. You can find help here: wave-network.org/find-help.
I realize that I am preaching to the choir here, but solidarity is incredibly important during these times. Make sure that you stay safe (by self-isolating), but also make sure that your neighbors are safe within their four walls as well.”