About Us
We, at The Safe Space Project, aim to build virtual safe spaces for survivors of sexual assault. We intend to ensure that no survivor has to be afraid of talking about their experiences in this space. The Safe Space Project currently works in three layers.
The peer support groups on Facebook and WhatsApp
These groups are the safe spaces that we are virtually building. These are informal groups where people can talk, rant, share, vent, share memes - whatever they'd like - with the guarantee that they wouldn't be judged if and when they decide to share the story of their assault. This is to ensure that the survivor doesn't have to face judgements in the form of victim blaming and/or slut shaming when they talk it out. These spaces don't have the traditional structure of a support group, which is to say that there isn't a weekly meeting or a sponsorship program. These spaces are meant to be informal so as to normalise conversations of assault without the judgement.
The Resource Lists
Once these groups were created, we realise that it may not be enough just to try and ensure the safety around informal conversations. It is essential to ensure that these survivors seek professional support - both legally and psychologically - without hesitation. These resource lists consist of Legal Aid Providers and Mental Health Professionals who can be vouched for not being judgemental or dismissive. The lists are made accessible to the survivors in the group so that they can reach out to the professionals in the group. The logistics of the interaction between the professional and the survivor remain between the two.
The Social Media & Communications
With our social media channels, we intend to build awareness around the nuances and intricacies of the conversation that should happen sexual violence. In our campaigns so far, we’ve spoken about things that are often left out of our knowledge of sexual violence. For example, our campaign titled ‘Yes, This Too’ was aimed at listing out different actions that are legally considered sexual violence, but are so normalised in the society that we live in - that they often go unrecognised. You can access these campaigns here: www.instagram.com/thesafespaceproject
Note: The Safe Spaces on Whatsapp and Facebook don't include cis-males as of now. The reason being that the survivors in the preexisting groups weren't comfortable with cis-males being a part of the group, given that a lot of their abusers were cis-males. This is not to exclude anyone, but to ensure the protection of the people we already have. However, we're working on creating a space that can include cis-males given the stigma that exists around them. In case you are a cis-male looking for a safe space, please reach out to 1in6, Mardaangi.