About SHE Report

Problem Statement · Objectives · Theory of Change · Ethical Framework

Problem Statement

The Challenge

Crimes against women in Kerala are not merely individual criminal acts; they reflect deeper systemic and structural failures. Underreporting remains widespread due to fear of stigma, distrust in institutions, and lack of clarity about legal processes.

Even when cases are reported, survivors frequently face delays, confusion, and disengagement across fragmented institutions. The absence of reliable, accessible, disaggregated public data further weakens evidence-based policy.

Objectives

What We Aim to Achieve

Build a comprehensive, publicly accessible database of crimes against women in Kerala

Provide clear, accessible information and referral pathways for survivors

Enable evidence-based policy advocacy through data analysis

Foster multi-stakeholder coordination across legal, medical and civil society actors

Create accountability mechanisms for institutions responsible for survivor support

Ethics

Ethical Framework & Safeguards

The ethical framework is grounded in do-no-harm principles, trauma-informed design, and data responsibility.

Survivor autonomy, informed consent, and confidentiality at every stage
Personal identifiers are minimised; access controls strictly defined
Anonymous reports treated as signals for pattern analysis, not evidentiary claims
Data retention policies aligned with legal and ethical best practices

Implementation

Phased Approach

Phase 1 — Foundation

Relationship-building with NGOs, legal services, counsellors and community actors. Trust anchors established.

Phase 2 — Expansion

District-level coverage extended. Standard Operating Procedures for data verification, referrals and coordination.

Phase 3 — Institutionalisation

Transition to semi-formal public-interest infrastructure. Annual reports, scorecards and formalised policy dialogues.