The World Bank terms Gender Based Violence as a “global pandemic” which affects 1 in 3 women worldwide. The usage of the word “pandemic” is precise to highlight the gravity and the depth of this issue. Over the period, various civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations have advocated for the cause and assisted in the social empowerment of the survivors subjected to sexual and gender based violence. However, there is a growing need to take this social engagement a step forward. There is a need to build innovative approaches to tackle the issue of gender based violence in a novel light.
Net Supatravanij, who co-founded a social enterprise named ILA with her partner Julie Sané-Pezet, has attempted to create a confluence of social entrepreneurship with a defining purpose and a concrete contribution to the cause of Gender Equality by working exclusively for the empowerment of the survivors of gender based violence. For Net, “ILA is a tool to foster gender equality and social inclusion by using innovative human centered strategies.”
“ILA is really about using your voice and standing up for what you believe in.” Net says as she explains the origin and the idea behind ILA.
Innovation for a social impact
Shedding light on the idea of building business models for contributing to issues of social relevance, Net says “the answer really lies in utilizing private resources for social gains. I realized when you utilize the private sector for social issues, there entails bigger impact.” As Net describes it, the most significant drawbacks with non-profit non-governmental initiatives is that they cease to be sustainable due to the scarce availability of required resources, financial or otherwise. This is where the idea of socially innovative business models comes up.
“We want to eradicate gender based violence and we want to do that in a sustainable way that involves private sector as well”- Net
Pivoting to new approaches
ILA, as a social enterprise, focuses primarily on providing skill training for gender based violence survivors. The gender based violence may range from sexual harassment, assault rape to human trafficking. The work entails organizing skills training workshops with corporations. The skills that are the focus of attention are the soft skills necessary for the reintegration of the survivors into the society. The survivors need the skills that would not only help them sustain a living or build financial security but also be able to actively engage in a society. “The focus is not on surviving but thriving.” says Net.
With the challenges brought about by the novel pandemic, the organization also started venturing into new approaches to highlight the grave realities of sexual violence which is further aggravated in the contemporary times. One significant facet of gender based violence that has reported a looming surge with the start of the pandemic is “Domestic Violence”. As Net puts it, in the post-covid period, the primary focus would be to tackle the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault happening behind those closed doors.
“Our research highlights that every 3 months of the lockdown 15 million women suffered from sexual assaults. The statistics are appalling” – Net
Keeping this new dimension in mind, ILA is now ventured into a new project of launching an application to fight domestic abuse. The application called “Ally” is an attempt to create a network of allies where the applicants would get significant training in recognizing the early signs of domestic abuse. They would be trained in the skills and resources needed to provide assistance to the domestic abuse survivors. “Instead of skills training for survivors, we are doing the skills training for the bystanders” explains Net.
Over the course of this pandemic, ILA has also attempted to shift its model. Now, along with providing skills training to the survivors, ILA has now also advanced into a consulting business. The idea is to help the businesses with their policies and packages in order to foster diversity and inclusion.
“If you really want to make an impact, you have to make it in a way that’s sustainable.” Net asserts while highlighting the importance of the factor of sustainability.
The Key Factors
At ILA, the core values follow a human centered design for all the approaches. As Net defines it “we work for the survivors, with the survivors.” When asked about the key factors that contribute to building a strong network of people in helping the survivors who have gone through the traumatic experiences of an assault, Net uses the words “inclusivity” and “requirement”.
“You cannot develop a solution for someone without asking them if they want it at all, whether they will benefit from it.” Says Net.
For Net, the most important factor is to listen first, to empathize and attempt to understand the stories of the people without any biases and preconceived notions. “We need to listen to the people who have gone through it, who have lived the experience. It is the first step and a lot of people skip this.”
The Power of the Youth
Net describes that her optimism about the future comes from the realization of the immense potential that the younger generation has.. “The young people have more power now than ever.” The rapidly changing circumstances have also become conducive to this power. According to Net, “the path to success is not linear anymore, now you can create a change by yourself from your living room.” However, for Net, the most important factor that would drive and fuel this power is consistency and the ability to follow through when the times get tougher. “Starting something is not difficult but maintaining that momentum is.”
Net Supatravanij and Julie Sané-Pezet, the co founders of ILA
The novel innovative social enterprises are the key to future social development that is diverse, inclusive and responsible. Enterprises like ILA pave a path to a more humane and empathetic outlook for corporations who possess vast potential and resources to make a positive change in the society. As Net suggests, the youth, with their conviction and strength, can act as a catalyst and a role model for those looking for innovative and sustainable ways of building a secure world.
