They may ask you to listen and be there for them. They may want to tell you what is happening. 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. 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 If You See the Signal: The Signal for Help was launched by the Canadian WomenвЂ™s Foundation in response to COVID-19, and is now being shared by partner organizations around the world. Please find other resources, services, and programs below that may be helpful in an unsafe situation at home. The hand gesture was created as part of the Signal for Help campaign of the Canadian WomenвЂ™s Foundation at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, to give people stuck at home with abusive partners an avenue to ask for help without being overheard and without leaving a digital trace. Some people do not have the ability to make video calls. Hold hand up with palm facing other person. Use this discrete gesture during a video call to show you need help: 1. The Signal for Help is a tool that may help some people, some of the time. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SIGNAL Isolation can increase the risk of violence at home. Originally launched in Canada and the US, it has spread across the globe. A potentially life-saving hand signal is going on viral on TikTok. What is the Signal For Help The Signal for Help, created by The Canadian WomenвЂ™s Foundation, a WFN member, is a nonverbal hand signal that provides a way to discreetly communicate when someone needs help. Public health directives on home isolation might increase danger and risk for people in abusive relationships. It involves putting your palm up, tucking your thumb in, and closing your fingers. A hand signal provides those experiencing violence in home isolation a way to discreetly communicate when they need help. It is done by first holding one hand up with the thumb tucked into the palm, and then folding the other four fingers. The gesture involves lifting one hand up to the camera, tucking your thumb into your palm and closing your fist. The Signal for Help gesture was developed by the Canadian Womens Foundation. ThereвЂ™s ample evidence that disaster situations can lead to a surge in gender-based violence. The campaign, devised in collaboration with the Canadian WomenвЂ™s Foundation, introduces a simple hand signal that can be silently displayed during video calls, to alert family, friends or colleagues that an individual needs help. It can help a person silently show they need help and want someone to check in with them in a safe way.

вЂњSignal for HelpвЂќ is a simple one-handed sign someone can use on a video call. 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.

Hand signal for help