Sometimes, people who are poor or working class internalize the society’s destructive beliefs and
attitudes and turn them against themselves and others of their class. These can include:
•feelings of inferiority to higher-class people
•shame about one’s traditional class or ethnic heritage
•superior attitudes toward people lower on the class spectrum, resulting in the conviction that classist institutions, policies, and practices are fair.

People don’t see Classism as a legitimate form of violence because they still believe being poor is indicative of person’s character rather than it being systematic oppression. These are the sometimes hidden injuries and wounds of classism.

SOLUTIONS
Classism is a systemic problem which requires everyone, collectively to put forth efforts to change the destructive power system.

•Education is key to understanding what is unknown and unfamiliar to us
Individual actions:
•Live simply so that others may simply live.
•Build and maintain friendships and relationships across class and race lines. Break out of your “comfort zone.”
•Don’t assume that others have the same level of resources as you do.
•Don’t assume that “everyone can afford.”
•Support the leadership of poor and working class people.
•Don’t make assumptions about people’s intelligence
based on their appearance.

People are usually bullied, harassed and mocked at which often leads to low self esteem, insecurities and the victims start loathing their bodies.

The virtue of self – love and self – appreciation is forgotten. One must always remember that before being judged by others one must love the way he/ she is.

FACTS

1. In the Girls’ Attitudes Survey 2016 conducted by Girl Guiding UK, “47 percent of girls aged 11-21 say the way they look holds them back.”
   
2. Reports suggests that body shaming leads to severe eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
   
3. “The average BMI( body mass index) for Miss Universe contest dipped into underweight range ” – UK based Superdrug online doctor’s study on Miss Universe’s body ( 2015).

SUGGESTIONS

1) Always accept and love your body by constantly working towards health goals.

2) The society should not compare people and drop the idea of a perfect body. Each one of us is beautiful in our own self.

3) Stay confident and don’t be mean to yourself.

4) Don’t encourage body shaming trolls. Instead, appreciate others how great they look in every form.

Remember each one is beautiful the way they are.

It is a multi billion dollars criminal industry that denies freedom to 24.9 million people around the world. Human trafficking is condemned as violation of human rights by International conventions.

FACTS

1. It is estimated that 2.4 million people throughout the world are lured into forced labour as a result of human trafficking at any given time.

2. Women and girls account for about 80% of the detected victims. Child trafficking accounts for about 15-20% of the victims.

3. Sexual exploitation accounts for about 80% of the detected cases. Experts believe trafficking in persons for forced labour is greatly under-detected or that it is mostly prosecuted under other offences.

4. In 30% of the countries where the gender of the offender was known, more women were convicted for human trafficking related offences than men. (UNODC, 2009)

5. The United Nations estimates the total market value of illicit human trafficking at US$32 billion.

SOME STORIES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING FROM AROUND THE WORLD

 • Slave Market in Libya
Migrants travelling from Europe to Libya are profitable source of income for criminal organization. Migrants are often kidnapped by armed groups and then sold to other smugglers. The captives are subject to violence and rape and often need to pay ransom to get out.

 • Sex trafficking in San Francisco
Two women from Korea are brought into San Francisco under the pretense that they will recieve jobs as hostesses or waitresses. When they arrived, they wererre held captive and forced into prostitution while their captors controlled all the money they received.

 • Forced Labour in Nepal
A family gives up a child to an adoption agent in Nepal who in turn sales the baby to a sweet shop owner. The child was forced to see garments and lacked nutrition and education.

 • Bacha Bazi – Dancing Boys of Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, one form of human trafficking that targets especially underage boys is the practice of making young boys dress in feminine clothes and forcing them to entertain older men. Men are often using boys as entertainers at parties, making the boys dance for them. The tradition is often linked to sexual abuse.

SUGGESTIONS

1)Human trafficking is a heinous crime which is happening under the covers in all the parts of the world. There is a dire need to spread awareness of human trafficking through television, raising awareness programmes and teaching the uneducated and educated about modern day slavery.

2) The most important thing is to learn the indicators of human trafficking. Human trafficking awareness training is available for individuals, businesses, educators and federal employees.

3) We as individuals of society can help the survivors by donating thibgs of fundamental importance, fundraising, volunteer for NGO’s such as Prajwala.

4) Always report suspicions in the emergency number of the given country. Do not hesitate to report trafficking in India on national helpline childline 1098.

Together we can Prevent Trafficking, Protect Victims and Prosecute the Traffickers.

Facts and Myths about Sex Education in India

1) Myth:Sex Education is for the people from the west. Because of their open minded culture, they have problem of teen pregnancy. This can’t happen in India because it is a country of values and traditions.

Fact: India has second largest population in the world with teen pregnancy 2 times more than US, 3 times more than UK and 10 times more than Western Europe.

2) Myth: Sex education is a topic for adults. Children shouldn’t talk about such obscene stuff.

Fact: Due to culture of shame and silence 53% of children in age group of 5 to 12 have been sexually abused

3) Myth: Sex Education is only about Sex

Fact: No, It is not only about sex but also includes topics of anatomy, gender norms, our rights on our body and more such stuff.

4) Myth: Sex education is not for men. They neither are sexually abused nor they become pregnant.

Fact: Around 57.3% of boys suffer from sexual abuse including rape and sodomy while 42.7% girls suffer from such malpractices. Surprisingly 61% of HIV/AIDS sufferers are men. Sex Education is thus for all, be it male or female.

Having ‘the talk’ isn’t easy but here are a few suggestions to improve the conditions about the same.

1) Its vital to remove the stigma of discussing about sex education.

2) If left untaught people become highly vulnerable in the midst of their own physiological changes.

3) High-risk sexual vulnerability can be attempted to be avoided if schools adhere to the National AIDS Prevention and Control Policy 2002 which begs the need for AIDS prevention and protection of the rights of infected individuals through awareness and education.

4) Unwanted pregnancies are also dealt with by unsafe means just because many are unaware of the risks

5) There is very little awareness about safe sexual encounters and the consequence of having unprotected relations with multiple partners.

6) Children from a young age should be taught about good and bad touch so that they aren’t left vulnerable to abuse.

Every day in developing countries, 20,000 girls under age 18 give birth. This amounts to 7.3 million births a year.

When a girl becomes pregnant, her life can change radically. Her education may end and her job prospects diminish. She becomes more vulnerable to poverty and exclusion, and her health often suffers. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among adolescent girls. Don’t let your conservative approach change their lives forever.

Did you know

1. On average a woman menstruates for about 7 years during their lifetime.

2. Poor menstrual hygiene can pose physical health risks and has been linked to reproductive and urinary tract infections.

3. Girls and women with disabilities and special needs face additional challenges with menstrual hygiene and are affected disproportionately with lack of access to toilets with water and materials to manage their period.

4. Only 36% Women Use Sanitary Pads In India

5. 70% of women in India say their family cannot afford to buy sanitary pads

6. Globally at least 500 million of girls and women lack proper access to menstrual hygiene

7. Roughly 120 million menstruating adolescents in India experience menstrual dysfunctions, affecting their normal daily chores.

8. Nearly 60,000 cases of cervical cancer deaths are reported every year from India, two-third of which are due to poor menstrual hygiene

Measures that can help

● Whichever method of sanitation you use, ensure to change it every few hours.

● Menstrual hygiene management should be an essential part of academic curriculum

● All educational institutions should install sanitary napkin Vending machine

● Easy access to hygienic affordable menstrual absorbents as well as toilet facilities and water supply.

● Boys need to be made aware about menstruation and their role in supporting the girls and women around them.

● Girls should ensure proper hygiene and keep themselves clean especially when they are menstruating.

● Menstruation should not be treated as a taboo and should be discussed openly without any shame.

when a person suffers from the emotion of grief, loss, or outrage, there might be a possibility that he/she might go into depression.

• Unstable Mental Health
• Major Depressive disorder
• Hopelessness
• Anxiety

These are some of the primary reasons for depression.

Whereas, Trauma is the response to a deeply distressing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope. It causes feelings of helplessness, diminishes their sense of self and their ability to feel the full range of emotions and experiences.

Facts-

1. Depression is ranked the single largest contributor to global disability.
2. Depression causes suicide and over 800000 people die each year due to suicide.
3. 1 in 20 Indians suffers from depression.
4. 36% of Indians are likely to suffer from major depression in India.
5. Between 75 and 93 percent of youth in the juvenile justice system have experienced some degree of trauma.
6. Children are more vulnerable to trauma because of their size, age, and dependence.

Suggestions for a depressed person-

1) Take baby steps. Learn how these small things can bring a big change in your life.

2) Prove everyone that you can do much much better without others help.

3) Don’t accept the fact that others know you better than you know yourself

4) Start setting goals

• To be better than you were yesterday
• To prove yourself
• To enrich your life
• To run your own race
• To compete with No one but yourself

Don’t t give up! Life brings various Challenging tasks, but you are the only one who can tackle them on your own!

Suggestions for a traumatised person-

Communicate the experience with family or close friends or in a diary or online journal.

Give yourself time and recognize that you can’t control everything.

Maintain a daily routine with structured activities.

Avoid major life decisions, such as changing careers or moving soon after the event.

Pursue hobbies or other interests, but do not overdo it

FACTS

• 1 in 3 women worldwide experience physical and/or sexual abuse from their intimate partners or non-partners.
• 31.1% of married women aged 15-49 years experienced spousal violence at least once in their lives. To add to this, 27.3% women were married before the age of 18.
• About 86% women who experienced violence never sought help, and 77% of the victims did not even mention the incident(s) to anyone
• Among the 14.3% of victims who sought help, only 7% reached out to relevant authorities — the police, doctors, lawyers or social service organisations.

REMEMBER

Those dealing with domestic violence often feel powerless to change things. Thus, it is important to remember that anyone can help stop domestic violence if they take the correct actions. Call the police if you experience domestic violence, or if you see or hear evidence of it occurring to someone else. The key to leaving an abusive situation is protecting your own safety and that of any other victims (like children or other family members). Head-on confrontation likely results in further violence, so turn to the authorities.

Domestic violence is a crime, but it will probably not be reported unless you take action. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 7217735372 for additional guidance. Take help of communities who have local domestic violence outreach organization & domestic violence support groups that can provide more direct advice and assistance. In most cases threats are entirely without merit, but it may be wise to speak with an attorney. Do Not Be Afraid To Call 100 if someone is hurting you or if you suspect they are hurting others. Such a call could protect you or other victims, and lead to the arrest of the abuser.

It takes many different forms, including negative attitudes and beliefs about, aversion to, or prejudice against bisexual, lesbian, and gay people. It is often based in irrational fear and misunderstanding.

People may use mean language and name-calling when they talk about lesbian and gay people.

Homophobia, stigma (negative and usually unfair beliefs), and discrimination (unfairly treating a person or group of people) against gay, bisexual, lesbian still exist in the country and can negatively affect the health and well-being of this community.

Often people use negative or offensive language to describe them.

It is high time people should accept this community and treat them equally without any discrimination.

What you can do is not believe in stereotypes, educate yourself, be vocal supporter and respect LGBTQ+ community!

Animal cruelty can be divided into 2 general categories: neglect and intentional cruelty .Most animal cruelty investigations involve large-scale operations that victimize hundreds or thousands of animals at a time. Animal welfare organizations across the world work to educate people about the proper care of animals and how to prevent animal cruelty.

Did you know?

• Every 60 seconds, one animal suffers abuse.
• Close to 65% of all abused animals are dogs.
• Every year, more than 10 million animals die from abuse in the US alone.
• On average, 250,000 animals every year are victims of animal hoarding.
• One third of parrot species are in danger of being extinct because of the exotic bird trade.
• Every year, more than 115 million animals in the world are used for laboratory experiments.
• About 97% of all animals that are tortured and killed every year are farm animals.

What can we do?

• Remain calm and get veterinary care
• Speak up, because if you don’t, who will?
• Know the law Familiarise yourself with animal-protection laws by visiting the websites of the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Document the crime
• File a first information report (FIR) with the police immediately
• Notify other appropriate authorities
• Contact animal-protection groups
• Be persistent Don’t let criminals get away with abusing animals. Follow up with local authorities about your case. Many lawyers are willing to help animals for free – you just need to ask.
• Thank the people who helped Share victories with others, and acknowledge the people who helped you obtain justice for animals.

Types of Racial Discrimination

• Direct discrimination – This is when discrimination takes place because of someone’s actual, perceived or associated race.

• Indirect discrimination – It happens when an organization has a particular policy that puts a certain racial group at a disadvantage
  
• Harassment – It occurs when a person degrades, humiliates, intimidates or offended another based-on race.
  
• Victimisation – Unfair treatment when a person filed a complaint of race related discrimination or supporting such a person.

What can we do? –

1. Listen to and amplify Black voices.

2. Pay attention to the voices of people who experience racism every day.

3. Call out hate speech- If you see something on social media or in the newspaper that reflects prejudice, address it to let others know that intolerant remarks are unkind and uncalled for.

4. If you overhear someone tell a racist joke, speak up and let them know that stereotyping isn’t harmless. There is nothing funny about using “humor” to normalize ugly stereotypes.

5. Teach children about kindness, fairness and human rights, Prejudice and hate are not innate. They are learned behaviours — and they can be unlearned.

6. Stand up for people being harassed — intervene if it’s safe to do so. If you see someone being harassed or physically attacked, help them if you can. Make your presence as a witness known. Don’t escalate the situation.

7. Support human rights organizations. Systemic racism is a child rights issue. UNICEF has highlighted and advocated tirelessly for children’s rights since its founding in 1946.

Racism, xenophobia, and intolerance are problems prevalent in all societies. Every day, each one of us can stand up against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes. Be a human rights champion, fight racism.

Verbal and physical abuse is wrong and should not be tolerated. All people deserve to be treated with dignity and humanity.

Help promote and defend human rights and make a difference in combating racism in your community!