Sparked by Raya Sarkar’s list in 2017 and most recently actor Tanushree Dutta’s accusations against former co-star Nana Patekar of sexual harassment, #MeTooIndia is no longer a hope for the future, but India’s present-day reality. What started off as calling out influential perpetrators in Bollywood, has now very rapidly seeped into every nook and cranny of the country. With survivors speaking up after years, and in some cases decades of silence, this movement is nothing short of revolutionary. As refreshing as it is to have access to judgement-free platforms to tell your stories and the sense of solidarity, it is understandable that these stories might be overwhelming and act as triggers for some. People across India have not only recognised this, but there has been an outpour of support in the form of resources with respect to health care, legal aid, mental health support, safe spaces in the form of media outlets and more.
#IWillGoOut has collated a support and resource list that is being circulated on the internet for anyone in need. “I agree to support the victim(s)/survivor(s) of #MeTooIndia without judging them. I shall extend my support to them empathetically and abide by my professional ethics and rules of privacy. At no point of time, I shall resort to victim blaming during my interaction. By sharing my contact details here, I agree with the terms and conditions of extending service/guidance keeping the best interests of the victim(s)/survivor(s) in mind all the time. I agree to publish my contact details accessible for victims/survivors to reach out to me,” reads a statement that all those who have been included in the list have signed off on subsequently agreeing to abide by the guidelines mentioned.
The database includes lawyers, social workers and mental health professionals across the country who will help survivors in whatever way they can free of charge. However, #IWillGoOut does not guarantee the authenticity of the resources listed and encourages everybody to cross-check the legitimacy. You can also write in to iwillgoout2017@gmail.com to report misinformation that you might have spotted. If you’d like to join the support team you can fill out their form here.
Click here to access the support and resource list.
If you liked this, we suggest you read: