Violence against women — be it sexual assault or domestic violence — often goes unreported due to shame, the fear of prolonged wait for justice and stigma. Many victims are often reluctant to speak up. In the rare cases, they do, it’s often their friends, family or colleagues who blame them for the very misfortune that broke their spirit.
Even if the chances of getting legal help is bleak, sharing your experiences with people who can support and understand you could get some weight off your chest. It will also give you some clarity on what to do next. The women’s collective, Sthree, a non-profit and a non-governmental organisation based in Kakkanad, is doing this for many who are struggling with their stories.
The organisation, which has around a 100 members now, assists victims of abuse and trauma and helps them through their 24 X 7 helpline which includes doctors, lawyers, mental health experts, and social workers. The collective, which started quite recently, also works to empower women by providing financial literacy, entrepreneurship support and even scholarships.
Hanna Paul, who spearheads the collective was a financial journalist. She quit her job to be involved with Sthree full time and make it into a reality. The 27-year-old always wanted to work towards making such changes. “Sthree’s motive is to make the world a better place for women. I’ve had bad experiences in the past. When I shared my experiences, I understood everyone has similar stories to share. Since then, I have been motivated to help women who have been through abuse and those in need,” says Hanna. She kickstarted the collective’s initiative from her home. Sthree’s first scholarship went to the child of the woman who was a maid there.
“I’ve seen their family struggle. I wanted them to do better,” adds Hanna. Though it is a woman’s collective, Hanna doesn’t want to extend her help to only women. “How does that work? It is important to look at the problems from an intersectional perspective. For a woman to have a better life, one has to look at her relationship with her husband, father, and those related to her — both men and women. When we get calls about abusive husbands, we help the men too, so that the women have a better space to live in,” says Hanna.
A week after the launch of the collective, Hanna says they received four cases. Now, she says Sthree is dealing with 20 registered cases of varying degrees — abuse, trauma, aid for entrepreneurship, and even land registration. “When we announced it, I realised how many people needed such a service,” she says.
Sthree has associated with law firms, therapists, social worker students, and professors who act as advisors for the students when they have to deal with emergencies. The social workers take up cases when needed and analyse the situation. They redirect the calls to therapists or legal aids. The legal services are pro bono. “Once we got a case where someone was suicidal. Immediately, our therapist started with the sessions and also spoke to the legal team. We saved her by giving her proper guidance. Once she was back to normal, we helped her choose educational courses. We are now trying to get her a UK scholarship.
Fair wage movement
To attain financial independence, Sthree along with Vandhana Vinod’s House of Vandy, a boutique that will soon launch in Panampilly, will give free vocational training to women. At the end of the training, they’ll also be employed. “We have selected six women as of now. After joining the initiative, these women have even started using digital payment methods,” Hannah quips.
Hanna also has plans to start an initiative titled ‘Tayyalkaari’ by including those women who want to learn stitching and design. She will rent out a group space where they can learn. Soon the youngster will also start a medical drive, providing free basic health checkups to workers in the unorganised sector. Sthree collective also provides self-defence and wellness lessons in Kalaripayattu, boxing, Zumba and yoga.
Women’s Day special
On International Women’s Day, the Sthree collective conducted an event at Westend Caterers Hall, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi. The event saw several self-built women from all walks of life, some of them of who found their strengths at Sthree collective. Apart from women who participated in the free garment manufacturing training organised by Sthree and House of Vandy, homegrown chefs and artists with handcrafted products were also part of the exhibition. the entrepreneur who earns the most that day were also given a prize. NLP trainer Minu Anna Mathew gave a mental health awareness talk.
Empowering women
Sthree collective helps women start their enterprises or become financially independent. Even entrepreneurs who can’t even read and write, are given basic literacy lessons. Their skill of choice is given prime importance. “Sthree will guide the women until they become capable enough to hire a staff of their own. Once they break even, in two years they’ll have to pay back 50 per cent of what they spent. This money is put back to fund Sthree’s future initiatives,” says Hanna.