Srijana is clear and vocal about what she is here to do. ‘Awaj: Breaking the silence’ is a project she has undertaken to ram home the message that domestic sexual abuse is all too real and that it’s time we look into the issue. She’s currently raising funds to work on a documentary. In the introductory note, on Indiegogo, she writes how she was four years old when a relative started molesting her. This continued for 10 years.
She says, “I’m a survivor of sexual abuse. So that has always been a big part of my life. Until I went to university, I thought I was the only person who had undergone such a thing because you never hear anyone talk about such incidents. I thought I was the unfortunate one.”
When she finally opened up to her friends, both male and female, many came forward with similar experiences. A discussion with a Canadian friend about social issues in Nepal sparked the idea that a topic like domestic sexual abuse should be brought to the forefront. But approaching friends to share their stories did not result in positive feedback, with a majority refusing her outright. So far she has only a couple of girls willing to speak out.
Change of Guard and OBOR
Ever since she made it clear that she is working on the documentary and talking about what happened to her, the responses she’s been receiving are less than encouraging. There are messages asking her if she is not embarrassed to be sharing such details about herself. “For almost all my life, I was quiet and I felt suffocated. Now I feel liberated. The reason why I’m talking about it is because I want girls to see that I’m an ordinary girl from a very normal family. If I can speak up, so can they,” she states.
She doesn’t know how her family will react when they learn about what she’s doing. And one day she plans to confront her abuser and ask him questions.
If things go according to plan, Srijana wants the film to go on floors from May. French filmmaker Gregoire Bacchetta will be working with her. Her plans, alongside the fundraising and filming, include establishing a helpline solely for victims of sexual abuse, providing counseling and a safe house for them.
With the film, Srijana is targeting victims of abuse as well as all parents. The vigilance of families is crucial when it comes to protecting their child. Srijana suggests parents think twice before leaving their child with a relative. She says, “Look at their psychological changes, ask them questions and most importantly, please stop asking them to be silent.”
It was seven years ago, as an 18-year-old working in Bangladesh, that Srijana began talking about what she had been through. “I was working with children whose mothers were prostitutes. The first time they introduced themselves, they said ‘Our moms are prostitutes and we’re trying to break away from that’. And these young girls gave me the sense of freedom to finally say, ‘Yes, I’ve been molested and I’m trying to change that now’.”
The crowd funding is happening at www.indiegogo.com. If you’d like to share your story, email Srijana at srijana_sijuka@yahoo.com.
