Sexual Violence in India: Blockchain's Role in Empowering Survivors

"I decided to do so because I knew that I had supportive family and friends. So yes, personal stories can put survivors of violence and their families at risk. I think the option to report on violence anonymously will definitely encourage women to speak up, but it does make a huge difference when women share their stories publicly."

Smashboard, 'your digital ally to smash patriarchy', is an app that utilizes the Ethereum Blockchain to create an encrypted space for survivors in India to report sexual violence.

As well as helping survivors of sexual violence access justice and support through connections with legal representatives, emotional and psychological support, and offering the ability to create an immutable record of evidential material, Smashboard can connect users with feminist journalists sensitive to their stories - and enables them to leave anonymous tips, without having to make the difficult choice to speak up publicly.

Founder Noopur Tiwari, a survivor of sexual violence herself, is a strong believer that while survivors speaking out is an essential part of empowering others to do the same, pushing people to report or speak out particularly before they are ready can be retraumatizing.

The 'strength in numbers' benefits of citizen journalism translate to the building of a robust digital community, and Smashboard's approach, rather than setting about the impossible task of reaching out to every potential user of the app to convince them and explain the technology, is to build a community of feminist influencers whom survivors independently advocate for the platform and the trustworthiness of the blockchain element.

Smashboard is just one way that survivors of sexual violence in India can make other survivors' lives a little easier, and help them move forward without being needlessly retraumatized.

India's criminal justice system has largely failed survivors of sexual violence.

"Through BlockchAngel, we are looking for blockchain solutions to stop violence against women, children and the elderly," explains Itzel Nava Valdez, Organization Coordinator at LACChain.

The organization has previously identified cash transfers using blockchain to boost financial inclusion among women as a way to utilize the technology in a humanitarian setting, partnering with the World Food Program to trial an interagency blockchain project, 'Building Blocks'.

Violence against women and girls and sexual violence in particular may not be confined within India's borders, but there are unique challenges in a country such as India with conservative laws and values, an oppressive caste system, and a number of archaic laws that punish women and girls disproportionately.