Signal for Help Campaign Launches to Help People Experiencing Gender-Based Violence During Home Isolation
, one of the IMPACTS Project partners, has announced its support for , an online initiative to assist those experiencing violence as a聽result of home isolation during the pandemic. Strict isolating measures have led people in聽Canada to increasingly turn to video calls to stay connected. Signal for Help is a simple聽single-hand gesture that can be visually and silently displayed during video calls, to alert聽family, friends, or colleagues that an individual needs help and that they would like someone聽to check in safely with them.
There鈥檚 ample evidence that disaster situations often lead to a surge in violence that women,聽girls, and trans and non-binary people are at highest risk of experiencing. This includes聽intimate partner violence, emotional abuse, and sexual violence. The COVID-19 pandemic is聽no different: other countries have already seen dramatic increases in gender-based violence,聽and Canada is bracing for a surge in the coming weeks and months.
To learn more about what you can do if you see someone use the signal please, or to聽download and share the signal, visit: . There you will find聽tips on checking in safely and ways to find support resources in your community, and a聽downloadable toolkit of social media posts.
