Day 15 : Map it! | Points of support & action

We only look for help when we need it. But sometimes, it's useful to know what are the points of support and help near you that you can get in touch with for different reasons. One, because we always imagine violence to be someone else's reality until it happens to us. Second, it's good to be able to help another person when they turn to us for help. And importantly, we can also get in touch to grow the activism and volunteer our time and energy in supporting their work.

Plot the points of support and resistance. Help spread the word on initiatives, services and organisations that are taking action to address violence against women where you are. Share what you know with others near you. Map it!

1) Search

Find out the contact number and details of the different organisations, networks and initiatives near you that addresses violence against women. For example:

• Support centre or shelters for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault or other forms of violence against women.
• Women's rights organisations
• Crisis centre or helplines
• State-subsidised legal advice centre like Legal Aid Centres
• Online community or websites that provides support or information on violence against women, including a safe space to share personal experience, strategies to counter violence against women, legal rights and how to take action
• State bodies or institutions that undertakes investigation on violence against women that takes place online or through the use of ICTs (information and communication technologies)
• Complaints department of telecommunications service providers that can take action against abuse of services including things like SMS harassment
• Local feminist zines or blogs that reports on and challenges violence against women
• Collectives or networks that take action to counter violence against women, etc.

2) Map it!

Add your search to the map

• Create an account on this site and log in.
• On the right column, near the bottom, click on "Create" then "Map - Support"
• Title: Write the name of the organisation, network, shelter or website
• Contact: Fill in the details of at least one of the ways of how people can get in touch with them, either telephone number, email, office address and/or website address.
• Details: Write a brief description of the services or information that they provide to give people a sense of what they can expect by contacting them. For example, legal advice, shelter, advocacy, public education etc.
• Location: Plot the location by clicking on the map. You can change the location by clicking on the marker and dragging it. If you are not sure where the location is (for example, if it is a website or a shelter where the address is confidential), then simply click anywhere you feel is central to the country or region where it is located or servicing.
• Country: Select which country by scrolling down.
• Click "Save" and you're done.

Keep mapping! Every time you come across an important local resource, support service or initiative that address violence against women, come back to the site and plot it. Populate the world with points of resistance against VAW and places of support for survivors. Spread the word and share the map with others. Take back the tech!