In Warsaw, a schoolgirl set up an online store on Facebook selling cosmetic products. Behind this page is actually hiding a platform that allows women to report violence discreetly, while they are cloistered at home because of confinement.
To any eye the Facebook page, "Rumianki i Bratki", looks like a simple beauty product site. Creams and lotions are thus presented as in traditional advertisements. But by analyzing more finely, the client can communicate by coded messages and report domestic violence. Indeed, if she wants natural cosmetics, it is because she needs help. And if she wants to receive them immediately, at home, by giving her address, the information is transmitted to the local police who intervene.
Since the start of confinement, a month ago in Poland, domestic violence has increased sharply, as in France. Women's advocacy organizations receive twice as many calls. For victims, it is often difficult to ask for help while they are cloistered at home, face to face with their executioner. With this page, they can now do this without attracting his attention.
A precious help
This idea was born in the mind of Krysia Paszko, a high school student from Warsaw.
"During the Easter holidays, I came across an article concerning the statistics of domestic violence which increases during the quarantine. Sure, I thought it was horrible, but it never occurred to me that I could do anything about it. ", can we read on the Polish site Onet.
"When I created it just a week ago, it was only for my friends, to tell them that if they feel alone, they can call me anytime, she says. I thought I would receive a message or two, but my initiative has become very popular. It was shared. We have already received more than 50 messages. ", She says.
The teenager was overwhelmed by the number of calls for help, so she approached the Center for Women's Rights. Association psychologists have taken over, and are now in discussions with the victims.
"I felt completely lost, I didn't know how I could handle it all. I had already read articles on domestic violence, but I did not know exactly how to deal with such situations, I did not know the possibilities of institutional help. I thought I would write to the Center for Women's Rights asking for help"says Krysia Paszko.
"This fake store looks like a real one, it does not create suspicion in an abusive spouse. The fact that many women write on this Facebook page shows that they feel safe there. They ask for help, tell us about their suffering, and sometimes prompt us to call the police ", explains Joanna Gzyra-Iskandar, member of the Center.
Just one week after the page was created, several police interventions led to the isolation of the violent spouse.
A strong commitment
The schoolgirl is a young woman of conviction, last January, she prepared several hundred sandwiches with her friends, which the "Daj Herbatę" foundation was able to distribute to the homeless in Warsaw. She has also run fabric bag sewing workshops, which can replace aluminum foil for wrapping bread or vegetables. And she actively participates in the youth climate strike, where she heads a group of teenagers from Mokotów.
Through her actions, Krysia Paszko shows that the activism of the young generation today uses social networks to make its voice heard and serve its causes.