With your support, we have been able to help more people than many thought possible. Two years ago, we decided to use technology to improve social welfare. We dreamed big and had an inkling that, with your backing we will go beyond what many believed to be possible. Here are only some of the ways you have helped the people of Iran live better lives:
1.You are Supporting Women’s Health
Comprehensive and unbiased sexual health information is not readily available in Iran. While the Iranian government provides some sex education, the information is limited and only available to young married couples. The Hamdam mobile application aims to level the playing field by offering easy-to-access and unbiased sexual education to any Iranian with a smartphone. The application provides easy to understand information on STDs, contraception methods, and breast cancer screenings.
Hamdam is also the only application that allows Iranian women to track their period and ovulation cycle using the Persian Jalali calendar, a solar calendar that is used in Iran.
2. You are Protecting Women’s Rights
Iranian women are denied many basic rights. Married women in Iran surrender some of their legal rights to their husbands — rights to education, work, travel, divorce and even custody of their children. However, there is a way around these legal hardships that few women know about or have the resources to pursue. Marriages in Iran are contracts, the terms of which can be determined by the couple beforehand. Hamdam provides easy to follow sample language to be included in marriage contracts.
Once the suggested language is added, the rights are legally binding and women have the right to make decisions about their own education, work and travel. They also can get a divorce with legal ease if they are in an abusive or unhappy relationship.
With about 180,000 downloads for Hamdam, Iranian women now more than ever are empowered to better protect their rights.
3. You are Offering a Compassionate Hand to Recovering Addicts
The number of people suffering from drug addiction in Iran has more than doubled in the last six years. About 2.8 million Iranians are regularly consuming drugs. The Iranian government provides some support to recovering addicts. However, their efforts have not sufficiently addressed the epidemic that has affected millions of Iranian families. Because drug addiction remains a cultural taboo, asking for help is a major challenge for recovering addicts.
The Haami mobile application provides compassionate and trusted support for people struggling with substance abuse and their friends and family. The app offers a range of resources including the tried and trusted roadmap to sobriety through Narcotics Anonymous’ Basic Text and other educational information. Haami also has sections that help recovering addicts dial back compulsion and provides a rolodex of recovery centers in Iranian cities and provinces.
4. You are Giving A Voice to Iran’s Brave Political Prisoners
Iran has at least 645 political prisoners. These are the cases that our Iran Prison Atlas researchers have been able to confirm. Some of Iran’s bravest citizens and most dedicated human rights advocates are among these prisoners.
Iranian officials try hard to hide why these men and women are in prison and how they are being treated. Some officials have gone as far as claiming Iran does not have ANY political prisoners. Our researchers work every day to document the cases of people unjustly arrested, tried and imprisoned—in direct violation of their fundamental rights— to make sure their voices are not silenced. We record their tales so that the Iranian government knows that the world is bearing witness.
5. You are Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence
According to a survey carried by the Iranian government, 63% of women in Iran have experienced domestic violence, including 60% who experienced emotional abuse, 34% who had either physical abuse or sexual abuse from their husbands, and 12% who reported that their abuse had become life-threatening.
The Toranj mobile application quickly connects victims of domestic violence with the resources and support they need to be safe, both in the moment and long term. The app offers various social and legal tools to help women protect themselves and their families—even ones designed to ensure the health of their relationships. This includes made-for-mobile educational resources, a legal support handbook, tools for self-assessing romantic relationships, and a database of free counseling centers and pro-bono law firms.
6. You are Empowering People at Risk of Violence to Ask for Help
Toranj’s utility is not only limited to victims of domestic violence. The app enables any user at risk of violence to request for immediate help.
During emergencies, Toranj lets users reach out to a group of trusted and pre-selected contacts with just a few taps to a user’s smartphone. Depending on the situation, users can choose from various pre-written text messages to simultaneously ask their friends or family to come and intervene, call the police, or take other steps of assistance. The app also allows users to send their location directly to the police.
With about 50,000 downloads for Toranj, Iranians at risk of danger are more than ever empowered to ask for help.
7. You are Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is difficult to discuss, especially with children. Unfortunately however, children in Iran, like many children all around the world, are not immune from dangers of sexual abuse. With the Michka mobile application, we’ve offered Iranian parents a tool to make this difficult conversation easier.
We consulted a group of psychologists and child development experts in creating Michka. The application is a game and e-book for children 6 to 12 years of age.
Michka brings the issue of sexual abuse to children’s attention in a language and framework that is appropriate and understandable for them. As we have previously shared with you, the response from parents and children to Michka has been overwhelming.
You are helping transform lives each and every day. Without your support, this work would have not been possible. If you can, please make a tax-deductible donation to continue your support.