Truecaller-News18 Network #ITSNOTOK Campaign Reaches 1.65 BN+ Users, Asks Women To Block & Report Harassers

As part of the culmination, Truecaller-News18 Network to unveil #CallItOut Art Work & #itsnotok EmpowHER marathon  for women to reclaim public spaces and stay safe in their digital communication

The six-month long #ItsNotOk campaign of News18 Network and Truecaller is all set to culminate with a #CallItOut artwork and a #EmpowHER marathon in partnership with the Delhi Police to encourage women to fight harassment both in physical and digital spaces. The campaign has reached about 1.65 bn users on digital platforms with a message to call out harassment, by blocking harassers on Truecaller and reporting them to relevant authorities to increase women safety. The Ministry of Culture has extended their support as part of the 75 years of Azadi ka Mahotsav.

The #CallItOut artwork will be visible on the main wall of the iconic Civil Lines Police Station in Delhi that will be unveiled by the Commissioner of Delhi Police, Shri Rakesh Asthana on 29th July. It will be also attended by Delhi University Proctor, Rajni Abbi, Delhi Police DCP North West, Usha Rangnani, and Single Mom & Blogger, Anupriya Kapur.

Created by the Delhi Street Art, it will portray inspiring stories of women  who have found the courage to call out harassment, to inspire others in society to report harassment when they see it. You can also see a version of the artwork on the rear windscreens of the Delhi Police Emergency Helpline Vehicles to take this message to all the Delhites encouraging them to participate in this movement to minimise harassment in society.

This will be followed up by the #ItsNotOK EmpowHER run on July 31st where hundreds of runners will run on a route designed in the shape of ‘ITS NOT OK’. This is an act to show the determination of women and committed citizens to reclaim physical spaces. They will be accompanied by police officers who are strong allies in this movement to make public spaces safer for women, thereby empowering them to make routine choices in a fearless manner.

The Run to EmpowHER will be graced by Shri Bhupender Yadav, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. The run will also see participation from a host of sports celebrities and public figures including Actress Mandira Bedi, Social Activist Ranjana Kumari, Marathoner Reeti Sahai, Delhi Women Football Players, Fit India Ambassador Capt. Dharmveer, Triathlete Pankaj Dhiman, Fashion Designer Namrata Joshipura, Content Creator Satshya Tharien and many more.

Commenting on the initiative, Ms. Pragya Misra, Director of Public Affairs, Truecaller, India said, “The culmination of #ItsNotOk is not the end of this effort, just a stopover in our journey of this movement to drive safety in digital communication and in the real world. The campaign has empowered millions of people around the world to fight harassment and this year, we took it a step ahead by encouraging women to report harassment to the authorities in addition to blocking them on Truecaller. Through the #CallItOut movement, several women across the country came together to call out harassment with the confidence that they have the support of local law enforcement and the community. We are delighted to partner with the Delhi Police on this initiative and their support in  forwarding our mission of making digital communication safe”

As part of its journey to create awareness about women safety, News18 Network & Truecaller #ItsNotOk initiative has reached more than 1.65 billion users across digital platforms so far and highlighted the helpline numbers 181 and 112 to over 92 million people for them to know where and how to report harassment.

Sidharth Saini, Senior VP Marketing, Content & Operations at Network18 Studio said: “Our partnership with Truecaller is a testament to how corporates and media platforms can come together and be a voice for good. This has been an enriching initiative for all stakeholders involved – one that successfully put a spotlight on women safety, and demonstrated the power of the community to put up a collective fight against harassment. We also want to thank the Delhi Police for their invaluable support and collaboration. Their association with this initiative further empowers women to be fearless in taking a stand.”

In the last 6 months, the campaign has gone to various parts of the country like Telangana, Delhi, Assam, Karnataka and Odisha with this message by engaging with key stakeholders in the state to discuss this issue of women harassment, online and offline safety, and ways for women to stay safe when navigating the digital world on their phones and other devices. The initiative has seen support from policymakers like Smriti Irani, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, K Chandrashekhar Rao, Naveen Patnaik, K.T. Rama Rao, K. Kavitha; law enforcement authorities KPS Malhotra and Shalini Singh; social activists like Ranjana Kumari; actresses Raveena Tandon, Aditi Rao Hydari and Huma Qureshi; as well as Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu,  and Jwala Gutta.

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About #ItsNotOk Campaign

Truecaller has been an essential part of everyday communication for over 320 million active users globally, with over 37.8 billion unwanted calls identified and blocked in 2021 alone. Women and personal safety as a subject is very close to Truecaller. Truecaller stands firmly against women’s harassment and strives to make communication safer and more efficient for everyone. A few years ago in 2017, after carrying out in-depth research in five countries to measure the size of the problem across the world, Truecaller launched a powerful campaign called #ItsNotOk.

This year, to further the cause, Truecaller joined hands with Network18, to encourage women to fight back against harassment and #CallItOut by providing them with information and action-oriented responses. This ‘always-on’ campaign pivots to empowering netizens to create an on-ground impact and take measures to keep women safe. Starting with Women’s day 2022, this year’s campaign has been running for six months and has already reached close to 1.65 Billion people across the country. With #ItsNotOk conclaves in multiple cities from Delhi to Bengaluru and a host of culmination activities, the campaign has taken a strong shape and will continue to change lives with inspiring stories of women fighting against harassment.