Eminent personalities from the sports and entertainment industry such as Ajinkya Rahane, Anushka Sharma, Dia Mirza, Farhan Akhtar, Karan Johar, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Mithali Raj, Nandita Das, Rahul Bose, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Sakshi Tanwar, Shabana Azmi, Shreyas Talpade, Sonali Kulkarni, Sunil Shetty,
Vidya Balan and Virat Kohli have come together asking women to take a stand against abusers and perpetrators of gender-based crimes. They urge people to not be bystanders but to report and help women seek help. Their passionate support to be a part this cause will be significant to educate and spread awareness about social crimes like domestic violence in our country.
Lets put a #LockDownOnDomesticViolence !! #Dial100 @CMOMaharashtra@DGPMaharashtra @AUThackeray@aksharacentre pic.twitter.com/JHu0M2vD0O
— vidya balan (@vidya_balan) April 19, 2020
With the nation under lockdown, there are a lot of people struggling to get a square meal, there are also a lot of those stuck in abusive families. During this lockdown, there has been a considerable rise in the cases of domestic violence and the celebrities have come together to urge people to report it in case they come across one. Dealing with Coronavirus has been especially difficult for the government, but they are also making sure that other issues are tackled effectively.
Talking about this initiative Nandita Shah, Co-Director of Akshara Centre said, “This increase in domestic violence during lockdowns is not just an Indian phenomenon; is being reported all over the world. We know that containment measures and quarantine are essential to overcome COVID-19 but we cannot have women entrapped in violent homes where even making a phone call is difficult. The government of Maharashtra has extended their support to help prevent this violence. We would also like to thank our long-standing supporter Rahul Bose who has been extending his endless support to the organization.”
In the video, the celebs say, “During the lockdown, there has been a sharp increase in the number of domestic violence cases. To all the men, we say, ‘Now is the time to stand up against this violence.’ To all the women, we say, ‘Now is the time to break your silence.’ If you are witness to domestic violence in your home, if you are witness to domestic violence in your neighbourhood, report it. If you are a survivor of domestic violence, report it. Let us put a lockdown on domestic violence.”
Along with the celebrities, the CM of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray has also supported this initiative.