Guide for friends and families of survivors of violence and abuse

Relationships are complex and abusive relationships come with their own set of complexities. It is difficult to ‘just walk away’ from a relationship. It takes an immense amount of courage to leave. Domestic violence and abuse are about power and control and when a survivor walks away from the relationship they threaten the power and […]

Domestic violence is a violation of human rights. It is a consequence of minimising and discrediting the equal status of a woman in a patriarchal society. It can occur in any form – physical, sexual, verbal, psychological, economic, stalking, cyberstalking, or a combination of various forms of abuse.  Recognising Domestic Violence and Abuse The first […]

“My daughter is 15 years old and my husband was arranging for her marriage. When I read Surokhito Gram Karyakrom’s comic book, I learnt that girls shouldn’t get married before the age of 18. It’s not good for their health and the future. It was difficult to convince my husband, but he agreed eventually”, a […]

Trafficking in Persons affects generations and not only individuals. The poor and vulnerable are the most susceptible and COVID-19 only reaffirmed this severe tragedy.  The 2021 theme for World Day against Trafficking in Persons is, “Victims’ voices lead the way”. It speaks so many things all at once. It speaks the truth, it speaks to […]

Rachakonda Commissionerate (Hyderabad, Telangana), under the leadership of the Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Mr. Mahesh Bhagwath, Indian Police Service initiated a quarantine follow-up for the staff of the Commissionerate who were tested positive for COVID-19 (mild and moderate cases). My Choices Foundation was brought on board to conduct counselling sessions, along with the routine medical […]

Sensitive and unbiased are two words that one must never forget when talking to a survivor of violence and abuse. Not providing a supportive environment can have adverse effects on the mental health of the survivors. Lack of support and reassurance can at times even make them tolerate the abuse for the sake of society.  […]

On 13 July 2021, My Choices Foundation participated in the United Nations Multi-stakeholder Hearing on the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The event was part of the consultation process leading up to a High-Level Meeting of the plenary of the UN General Assembly, which will take place on 22-23 November 2021 […]

India has been grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. Multiple lockdowns in the country resulted in restricted mobility, loss of livelihoods, and an acute shortage of essential goods for many families. Our counsellors moved to online platforms to provide counselling to survivors and our PeaceMakers – local community women trained in counselling and […]

Aiming to empower our counsellors with skills and knowledge to assist people who exhibit suicidal tendencies, we organised a training programme for our counsellors for Suicide Assessment and Intervention. Dr. Sukriti Kushwaha, PhD, LMFT took 4-hour virtual session with 35 team members. The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a new global health threat. By increasing […]

Childhood should be a time to grow, learn, play and thrive in a safe environment. But an estimated 10 million children around the world don’t have that chance. They are forced to work into begging, selling drugs, work in the factories, quarries or brick kilns, and sold into sexual slavery amongst many others forms of […]