Nirbhaya: “Fearless”
As part of Sambhali Trust’s comprehensive approach to empowerment, the Nirbhaya (“Fearless”) project seeks to prevent gender-based violence and provide support for survivors. The toll-free Helpline, launched in 2014, provides direct assistance to survivors with a focus on domestic violence, sexual abuse, harassment, rape, acid attacks, and forced or early marriage. As a result of both the lockdown and economic stresses, gender-based violence greatly increased during the pandemic. In response, Sambhali Trust greatly expanded the Nirbhaya project by hiring a psychologist and a lawyer to increase counseling and legal services, providing for emergency shelter, and increasing linkages to other social services. The Nirbhaya project also launched a community-wide prevention and education campaign including workshops, house-to-house educational campaigns, and social and traditional media. The expanded project was featured on CNN’s series The Shadow Pandemic. Nirbhaya serves women, girls, and all members of the LGBTQIA+ community.