SIGNAL FOR HELP
– By Canadian Women’s Foundation
The social isolation measures necessitated by the COVID-19
pandemic are making it more difficult for those who are
at risk of abuse or violence to safely reach out for help.
“Signal for Help” is a simple one-handed sign someone can
use on a video call. It can help a person silently show they need
help and want someone to check in with them in a safe way.
There’s ample evidence that disaster situations can lead to
a surge in gender-based violence. Public health directives on
home isolation might increase danger and risk for people in
abusive relationships.
The Signal for Help is a tool that may help some people,
some of the time. Some people do not have the ability to make
video calls. Please find other resources, services, and programs
below that may be helpful in an unsafe situation at home.
The Signal for Help was launched by the Canadian Women’s
Foundation in response to COVID-19, and is now being
shared by partner organizations around the world. If you
are an organization that would like to launch Signal for
Help in your own country or region, get in touch with us at
[email protected].
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call
911 or your local emergency services (police, fire, ambulance).
IF YOU SEE THE SIGNAL
If you see someone use the Signal for Help, check in with the
person safely to find out what they need and want you to do.
1. Call them and ask questions that can be answered
with “yes” or “no”. This may reduce risk if someone is
listening.
For example:
“Would you like me to call 911?”
“Would you like me to call a shelter on your
behalf?” (Find a shelter in your community by
visiting ShelterSafe.ca)
“Should I look for some services that might help you and
call you back?” (Find some services you can reach out to.)
2. Use another form of communication such as text, social
media, WhatsApp, or email and ask general questions.
This may reduce risk if someone is watching the person’s
device or accounts.
For example, you can ask:
“How are you doing?”
“How can I help you out?”
“Get in touch with me when you can.”
3. Other questions you can ask:
“Do you want me to reach out to you regularly?”
“How else can I support you?”
For more information and for ideas on
how you may be able to help, please
CLICK to visit:
canadianwomen.org/signal-for-help
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