Women's Foundation shares secret hand signal that tells people you're in danger

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By VT

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A video from the Women's Foundation has remerged on social media this week, which teaches women a secret hand signal to tell other people that they feel endangered.

The footage in question was first shared on the organization's official YouTube channel back in 2020 by the Canadian Women's Foundation, to help women who were stuck indoors during lockdown who might be forced to live with an abuser.

The gesture, which you can view in the video above, allows people who feel threatened or frightened to catch the attention of someone so they can call the police or come to help.

Take a look at the video in question below:

The hand gesture involves holding the hand up with the palm facing the other person, and then folding the thumb into the palm of the hand with a finger closed over the top.

The video, which was posted in September of last year, has currently accrued over a million views as of the time of writing.

The footage was captioned:

"Isolation can increase the risk of domestic violence at home. If this is the case for you, use this hand signal on a video call to show you need help.

"If someone gives you this hand signal on a video call, visit canadianwomen.org/signal-for-help to learn how to check-in safely and find support. [sic]"

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Credit: PA Images

The video has been shared widely on social media this week in the wake of the tragic death of Sarah Everard.

The 33-year-old vanished on March 3 after walking home to Brixton, south London, from her friend's home in Clapham.

Police launched an investigation into her disappearance. Everard's remains were eventually discovered in builders' bags in an area of woodland not far from Ashford, Kent. She was identified via dental records.

On Friday, March 12, former Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, a firearms officer from Scotland Yard's elite Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, was arrested and charged with her kidnapping and murder.

Couzens was remanded in custody yesterday, March 13, until his court hearing at the Old Bailey on March 16, according to the Express. He has not yet entered a plea.