This Global Grassroots' sponsored project, titled "Relax", is combating domestic violence by educating women about their rights and giving rural representatives cell phones to report cases of abuse.
This team of 10 is working with women in the rural village of Mutara, Rwanda, where up to 50% of women are victims of different forms of domestic violence, including denial of property rights, sexual violence (marital rape) and physical abuse. This locally-initiated project aims "to see women safe in their community, to see women's rights respected, to shift the burden of stigma onto men who commit violence rather than on the women who are victims of domestic violence"
Relax will work with police and local authorities to improve legal protection of victims, and lead community workshops on issues of domestic violence. They will use cell phones to report violence and generate project revenue as local pay phones.
In its first year, the Relax Project estimates it will reach 815 people. It aims to increase the number of women who report violence from 50% to 55% within the first 6 months, and within 2 years decrease the local authority's response to one week.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Excel file (projdoc.xls).
