Stop Violence Against Women in South Asia

Content Warning: Themes of Sexual Violence

Fatima is 17 years old. She lives with her mother and 3 sisters and brother in the Jarpatka area, Nagpur, Maharashtra. Her mother works hard, struggling to support her family by selling vegetables on the roadside. She earns 600 rupees a month and is the sole provider, as their father left them years ago.

Fatima made friends with a new neighbour who was 20 years old. One day, he invited her round to his house only to lock her in the bathroom. Once she was captive, he invited 2 male friends over and they raped her. They even filmed their assault and later used the video to blackmail Fatima, so that she wouldn’t speak to her mother about what had happened.

Her mental health rapidly deteriorated and her mother urged Fatima to tell her what was wrong, but Fatima was too afraid to do so. After several days, Fatima bravely told her mother what had happened and together they went to the police station to file a report. Soon after, the 3 men were arrested.

Our project heard about the case and offered counselling services to both Fatima and her family. After only a few sessions, Fatima already appears to be improving. The project also assisted Fatima in accessing a government scheme, whereby survivors of sexual violence are entitled to funding as they recover. The support worker has built effective relationships with the local police force and is supporting them in the court proceedings.

The project continues to support Fatima while the court case is ongoing. We will keep you updated.

Thanks to you, survivors of sexual violence are heard, supported and represented in court.

Links:

• Link to our website to find out more and see our projects!