Indian-American teen raises domestic abuse awareness

An Indian-American teenager is helping raising awareness against domestic abuse, and believes that doing so was "the key to preventing future atrocities", a media report.

Following the mission of the decades-old organization Maitri, a non-profit organization that helps female victims of domestic violence and human trafficking in North America and Asia, a group of teens led by Alisha Gupta held an event to expand awareness to youth throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, the India-West newspaper said in a report on Friday.

A senior at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California, Gupta told India-West: "The taboo around topics such as gender inequality, relationship abuse, and toxic masculinity are their biggest detriment.

"And, it's in our ability to break those generalizations that demonize the abused and instead encourage them to speak up about their experience and get the help they need."

That, she added, was the purpose of the event in order to educate the community on the signs to detect society's stigmas and instill among them the courage and confidence to take a stand.

Her social awareness and intolerance towards injustice in society have primarily driven her works and passions, she added.

At the event, Maitri President Sonya Peliao spoke passionately regarding a South Asian approach to these topics and the importance of communication between parents and their children.

"I am extremely hopeful this convention will raise the awareness we need to put an end to society's stigmas," Gupta added.