Laxmi

When Laxmi’s neighbour started sexually harassing her she knew it was wrong but was too scared to speak up. She told a VOICE 4 Girls counsellor who encouraged her to tell her parents. They did not believe her but VOICE helped Laxmi find the words to convince her parents she was being abused. “Without VOICE 4 Girls I wouldn’t have known what was happening to me,” she says. “I am going to talk about sexual abuse and other violence to girls like me so that they understand how to protect themselves”.

Hear this:

In rural Telangana, almost half of women aged 15-49 who have been married have suffered spousal violence. (National Family Health Survey-4). One in five adolescent girls in India fear physical assault when in public (Save the Children).

Find out more about the Hear My Voice Appeal and what you can do to help here.