Twitter adds search prompt to combat domestic violence in India; NCW 'glad to be a part'

Micro-blogging site Twitter has launched a new feature in India where users searching for domestic violence-related keywords on the platform will now be directed to relevant information from the Ministry of Women and Child Development and National Commission for Women. NCW chief Rekha Sharma on Thursday said that the commission is glad to be part of Twitter India's #ThereIsHelp initiative.

'Glad to be part of this initiative'

 

“This is initiative by Twitter will provide big support to the survivors, who would otherwise be easily isolated without access to relevant information and help,” said Rekha Sharma said in a statement.

Twitter in a statement said that the company has collaborated with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) and NCW to expand its "efforts towards communities" in the country. The note adds that the new prompt feature on Twitter is an expansion of #ThereIsHelp that was put in place for the public "to find clear, credible information on critical issues."

The feature will be reviewed at regular intervals

This comes at a time when the country is witnessing a rise in domestic violence cases amid the lockdown period, according to the NCW. The search prompt is available on iOS, Android, and on mobile.twitter.com in India in English and Hindi languages. Some of the terms include crime against women, domestic violence, dowry, dowry death, gender violence, gender-based violence, lockdown violence, marital rape and POSH (prevention of sexual harassment).

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The feature will be reviewed at regular intervals by the Twitter team to ensure that all related keywords generate the proactive search prompt, the company said. According to a recent report by UN Women, 243 million women and girls aged 15-49 globally have been subjected to sexual and/or physical violence perpetrated by an intimate partner in the past 12 months. 

Twitter India and South Asia Director Public Policy Mahima Kaul said new data shows that since the outbreak of COVID-19, violence against women and girls has intensified in India and across the globe.

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"We are aware that many suffering domestic violence are isolated at home with abusers, without friends or bystanders around them who can step in to help. We recognise collaboration with the public, government and NGOs is key to combating the complex issue of domestic violence," she said. 

Accessing reliable information through this search prompt could be a survivor's first step towards seeking help against abuse and violence, Kaul added.

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(with PTI inputs)