Breakthrough Bell Bajao!

Description

The Bell Bajao site that started out as a support tool for the campaign on ground has now become an important scaffold for the grassroots work and has an influential following and fan base on Facebook and Twitter. The Bell Bajao blog has acted as a platform for breaking many gender stereotypes by featuring budding female bloggers/writers, LGBT activists and many men & boys who have expressed their lack of identification with the existing concepts of masculinity and practices of patriarchy. For all these bloggers, writers and activists, the internet offers a relatively safer space to freely express themselves either on conditions of anonymity or due to the reduced degree of confrontation in the cyber space. The main objective of the Bell Bajao campaign was to raise awareness on domestic violence by bringing it in the purview of mainstream discussions in platforms that have mass viewership and readership. These platforms include social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter; the blogosphere; video sharing websites like Youtube and Vimeo; and news dailies and wires (print & online).

What do we deliver?

Information on Domestic violence, how to recognize and act against Legal parameters : What are you rights? Resources : Who to connect with ? Blog : Outlet to express and write about gender based violence Youth Engagement targeting young minds and engaging them in attractive mediums of edutainment. This defines the reason behind Bell Bajao’s presence on Facebook and Twitter. The campaign is not just about promoting Breakthrough’s human right approaches and work but to engage the youth with women’s rights and issues with a more casual tone and language that they can easily connect with. A morbid issue like domestic violence and rape were discussed in such a way that challenges stereotypical notions and beliefs and asks them to take action beyond being mere fence sitters. (facebook.com/BellBajao) (twitter.com/Bell_Bajao) Gender Rights Training Through Breakthrough online training session on the site, that includes its legal implications in India that talks about Protection of Women against Domestic Violence (2005) and listed resources, Bell Bajao aimed for young individuals to gain a deeper insight on how violence against women is entrenched in social constructs of gender and patriarchy and for an intense engagement to challenge their set notions about society. The process of transformation (not dependent on an external facilitator), however, must not be limited to the direct consumer and guide the individual to raise awareness in his/her social circles like friends and family as well as in his/her community. Through this toolkit, Breakthrough aims to expand the grassroots work in India beyond the national borders to include localized communities globally in different cities and countries. Endorsement of Community & Celebrity Influencers Breakthrough also aimed to gain the support of high profile stakeholders like celebrities from the entertainment industry and local community leaders for the Bell Bajao cause as their views are influential in forming public opinions and would encourage more people from the community to speak out and take action against the issue. A celebrity endorsement works both as something aspirational for masses as well as is form of acceptance in a society that is less vocal about domestic violence.

Whom we deliver?

Men,Women and youth.

How is the project unique?

The Bell Bajao! blog is a pioneer in the digital revolution in India for opening up visible and accessible discussions over the “private matter” of domestic violence. The biggest challenge was right at the start. That is, to create a context to raise awareness on domestic violence that would excite an unlikely audience to participate in the dialogue process.

Roadmap

Yes it is scalable. But not entirely self sustaining. Limitations include that most funders are still discovering the power of social media and are not necessarily open to funding social media programs

Contact

Breakthrough
Meghana rao
E-1/A Kailash Colony,New Delhi 110048
URL/Website – www.bellbajao.org