RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – During social isolation, women face a double epidemic: the novel coronavirus and domestic violence, which has escalated during the quarantine period in Brazil.
According to data from the Brazilian Public Safety Forum, in São Paulo alone, the State Police’s assistance to women victims of violence increased 44.9 percent, rising from 6,775 cases in March 2019 to 9,817 in March this year. In Rio Grande do Norte, attacks increased 34.1 percent and threats to women grew 54.3 percent.
This dire scenario led Rappi to enter into a partnership with the ‘Justiceiras’ project, founded at the start of the pandemic by Gabriela Manssur, a prosecutor specialized in fighting violence against women, who currently includes 2,000 legal, psychological, health and social assistance professionals.
In March alone, the project found that 2,500 protective measures were decreed as a matter of urgency in São Paulo, against 1,934 in February.
The Rappi initiative consists in the introduction of a help button in the app, the “SOS Justiceiras”, which is now available. Any woman in a vulnerable situation can trigger it to be helped by these professionals.
“Faced with an attack, what to do? Who to look for? Where should the victim go? Is it possible to ask for help without leaving home,” asks prosecutor Gabriela Manssur. “These and other questions are answered by the Justiceiras. They are ready to advise and, above all, support and empower these women who come in situations of domestic violence”, she adds.
Victims of violence who activate the button will be directed to a simple screening form, so that members of the Justiceiras system understand their situation. One of the project volunteers will then make contact with the woman via Whatsapp to start the talks.
The campaign, which was devised by AlmapBBDO, also features the #NãoÉSóDenunciar (#It’sNotJustDenouncing) campaign, with the aim of showing that there are a number of procedures a victim of domestic violence faces.
Source: Exame