Press Release - London
-
Upload
chaynpakistan -
Category
Documents
-
view
215 -
download
0
Transcript of Press Release - London
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Combating domestic violence one informed woman at a time! Website against domestic violence launches on Pakistan's independence day
Event: Website launch,
Venue: Fairly Square
51 Red Lion StreetWC1R London
United Kingdom
Date: Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Time: From 18:00 to 21:30 (BST)
Contact: Hera Hussain, Founder
07403442852
We are pleased to announce that our website aimed at combating domestic violence in
Pakistan by informing and supporting victims is being launched by our team of volunteers spreadacross the globe, on Pakistan’s independence day, 14
thAugust, this year, at Fairly Square, on
Red Lion Street, London.
The website (URL: www.chayn.org), is being launched at a small event the details to
which may be found at: http://chaynlaunchlondon.eventbrite.co.uk/
“Chayn” is Pakistan's first global volunteer-led, crowd-sourced website that hopesto inform and support women facing domestic violence. Eighty percent of women in Pakistan
face domestic violence in their lives according to “We Can Report”, which was published in
2011. Yet, cultural attitudes towards, and the legal and economic status of women in Pakistan, prevent them from taking action to protect themselves. Chayn is the beginning of a digital
initiative to change that and combat domestic violence in Pakistan, one informed woman at a
time.
The website launch is expected to begin at 6:00 P.M. with showcasing of the website and
an interaction with the Chayn team. Attendants may also write messages of support for domestic
violence victims. Immediately afterwards, Zarghuna Kargar, a BBC journalist and author of “Dear Zari” (see link above for further information), is slated to speak at the event. She will be
talking about her experience of growing up in Pakistan and narrating stories of women
experiencing domestic violence whom she has met. She will also emphasize the importance of online initiatives aimed fostering public discourse on the issue of domestic violence.
She will be followed by Hera Hussain, who is the founder of Chayn. She will be speaking
about how she crowd-sourced content, and launched the website within 3 months. Hussain’s talk
will be followed by a “hold-up” or creative brainstorming, which will be hosted by MakeSense(www.makesense.org), a global online network which hopes to resolve challenges of social
entrepreneurship. The hold-up is aimed at encouraging the event participants to come up with
innovative solutions to canvassing inspiring stories of women who have escaped violence, and to
helping them rebuild their lives.
Started from one laptop in London three months ago, the project has become a movement
challenging Pakistan's biggest and unspoken-of human rights issue – domestic violence. Theglobal movement has over 30 volunteers ranging from psychologists, journalists,
communications experts and entrepreneurs in Argentina, Greece, India, the US, UK and
Pakistan contributing to the online and offline initiatives such as crowd-sourcing information,
putting up stickers in public places, hosting events and stirring conversation amongst Pakistan'syouth about addressing the prevalence of domestic violence. All content on the website has been
crowd-sourced from psychologists, lawyers, women's rights activists, students and entrepreneurs
specifically suited to Pakistan.