NGO launches 0800 channel on Women’s Day to expand access to care and support

Me Too Brazil

The organization will provide assistance related to complaints, legal support and psychological support from this Friday (8)

Me Too Brasil, the only Brazilian NGO to offer direct assistance to children, adolescents, women and men, now offers another way to support victims of sexual violence. In celebration of Women’s Day, the organization launches, this Friday (8), a 0800 channel to provide a new gateway and an expanded path to request assistance and reception. The entity already offers free support in the national territory and for Brazilians abroad, through online services, available via WhatsApp and the website platform.

The new service is a partnership between the organization and the Scooto Call Center and will open the way for victims to access guidance on reporting and specialized support from psychology, law and social assistance professionals.

“Not everyone has access to the website to fill out the service form. Having an operator talk to you and carry out the registration and scheduling will make all the difference. It will facilitate access, for example, to low-income women”,

highlights the founding president of the organization, the lawyer specializing in gender, Marina Ganzarolli.

When calling 0800, the person is welcomed and guided by a Me Too Brasil operator, who completes an initial registration in a confidential and confidential manner. Within 24 hours, the organization’s team will contact you to schedule the necessary services, such as psychological support or legal guidance. The organization reinforces that all information is treated with secrecy and confidentiality, and is only available upon court order.

This week, the Women’s Observatory against Violence and the DataSenado Institute revealed in research that 61% of cases of violence against women are underreported. The 10th edition of the National Map of Gender Violence showed that only 24% of the women interviewed declared that they were very familiar with the Maria da Penha Law, which leaves them even more vulnerable.

For Ganzarolli, the lack of access to justice and fundamental rights are central issues behind the high number of underreporting. Although Brazil has robust legislation to combat gender-based violence, many women face obstacles in seeking legal protection and adequate assistance.

“One of the main challenges is the lack of information and the lack of resources available for women in vulnerable situations. Many of them do not know where to look for help or do not even have access to essential services, especially in peripheral, rural communities or in smaller municipalities, where the service structure is precarious”,

highlights Marina Ganzarolli.

She highlights that, even when women seek redress, they are faced with a lack of guidance on how to proceed, where to turn and how to access support services, such as specialized psychological or legal assistance. “Universal access to public services, individualized support and access to resources are essential for women who seek support and guidance to make informed decisions about complaints and their rights”, she highlights.

Me Too Brasil has been a reference since 2020 for its work in welcoming and providing psychological, legal, and assistance support to victims, and for its public activism against gender-based violence in the country. The organization and Scooto are signatories of the Elas Lideram 2030 Movement, an initiative of the UN Global Compact that seeks companies committed to gender parity.

*With information from consultancy

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