The founder of Freedom Restoration Project shares her story of breaking the cycle of silence and abuse and how she is working to empower communities to end domestic violence
TRIGGER WARNING: The following story includes descriptions of gender-based violence, which may be distressing for some audiences. Please take care as you read the article.
When Watcharapon Kukaewkasem, who goes by Sia, was seven years old, she watched her father drag her mother to the ground and start beating her in the street near their home in a small village in Northern Thailand. It was not the first time that she and her five-year-old brother had witnessed her father physically abuse her mother.
“I wanted so badly to stop my dad from hurting my mum, but I was so scared and helpless,” said Sia, when telling her story at an event organised by UN Women and The Moth, a non-profit dedicated to the art and craft of personal storytelling, last year.
They were near the market in their village and there were a lot of people they knew in the vicinity. But no one stopped. No one did anything. Despite Sia calling out to the aunties and uncles she knew, they all walked on by.
“The heavy thoughts of people who know us, not doing anything that morning, have remained with me for many years,” said Sia. “Their silence marked me that day.”
The family were at the market on that day because Sia’s mother was attempting to escape her abusive partner, taking her two children with her. It wouldn’t be the last time she would try to get away. But it was not until Sia was in her second year at university and was able to save enough money to hire a lawyer to draw up divorce papers for her mother, that she would never have to return to him again.
Sia went on to become a social worker. As a survivor of domestic violence her passion lies in helping families and communities experiencing similar abuse as well as gender-based violence, much of which she does through her non-profit organisation Freedom Restoration Project (FRP). Gender-based violence is harm done to someone because of their gender, such as domestic abuse, sexual assault, or online harassment. It includes acts like a partner hurting their spouse at home because they believe they have the right to control them.
As CEO of FRP, Sia predominantly works with migrant women and children who live in high-risk situations along the Thai-Myanmar border, which is where she faced a situation that would underscore the importance of bystander intervention—stepping in to help when witnessing someone harmed or in danger.
While working in the border city of Mae Sot about ten years ago, Sia was driving home from dinner one evening on her motorcycle when she saw a man hitting and kicking another man. Next to them were a woman and a boy aged around five years old.
“At that moment, my heart dropped, and my hand began to shake because all my past memories of the market that morning flooded over me. My head started to debate, “Should I stop? Should I continue driving? What if the man has a weapon?” Again, I was afraid but knew I needed to do something. I did not want to just see the violence in front of me and do nothing and treat violence as a family matter.”
