Parvathy Thiruvothu launches Stand By Me, an initiative to support abuse survivors

Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu, who launched Stand By Me on Saturday, November 23, reminded us that building a support network around those who have been attacked makes a world of difference, like between life and death. The initiative aims to support survivors of gender-based violence, and has been actively providing not only emotional support but also financial stability for some time now. Survivors were able to pave the way for economic independence by promoting their handmade products (bags, dresses, curtains) through Stand By Me. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to survivors.

The initiative was officially launched on Saturday with an online event that began with a rendition of American soul singer Ben E King’s song “Stand By Me”. When the night comes, When the land is dark, And the only light we’ll see is the moon, No, I won’t be afraid, Oh, I won’t be afraid, As long as you’re standing, Stand by me.

Parvathy, a founding member of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), talked about her experience of working with women trying to change the system. He said the first step is to tell the victim you believe him. “Personally, I’m more impressed by a woman not believing me than by a man believing me. Deep down inside I expect men not to believe, I know how to do that, I don’t trust them to believe me. Even if the legal system fails (some survivors), it means a lot to have a collective saying we believe what you say,” Parvathy said.

The second step, he said, is to pool resources to demand the justice that survivors deserve. She said that before becoming a collective, women were like isolated islands drifting away from each other. This, he emphasized, is why a collective like WCC or Stand By Me is so important. “This is a network of not only compassion and empathy, but also of education that you can claim space and sustenance. “I want to emphasize that claiming a livelihood based on your skills has nothing to do with your fight for justice when you are the one being wronged.”