This archive report was first published on 21 June 2021.
On a Friday afternoon, a call to the national sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) hotline 1195 can be a lifeline for survivors of abuse.
Accessible to survivors, family members, friends, or concerned community members, the toll-free line offers free tele-counselling or guidance on where to get help.
Here's how it works: after dialling 1195, a caller is connected to a counsellor who takes their bio-data, including name and current administrative information.
For 19 minutes, the counsellor takes the caller through a diagnostic process to establish the root cause of the problem, gently letting off the shells and creating a comfortable and safe space to open up.
With the counsellor's guidance, the caller is empowered to address the problem and create an action plan to free themselves from the situation.
As the counsellor says, "Do that and let me know how it goes on Monday," the caller is left with a clear understanding of how to address domestic problems without causing further harm.
With the ongoing pandemic, more women are falling into SGBV traps; a call to 1195 can help one find a way out of a difficult situation.
