In March 2021, a video shared by an Indian restaurant owner circulated widely online. It demonstrates the one-handed Signal for Help, a way to ask someone to make contact safely when explaining a need for support aloud may be difficult. Its circulation does not make it a universally recognized emergency code. Such incidents include scenarios involving domestic abuse or situations where someone is being held against their will.
In the video shared by Harjinder Singh Kukreja, a woman, a man, and a girl walking down a hallway with a man, all show the sign as an example of how it can be used.
Everyone should know the international sign for Help me. Let’s make this famous #HelpMe pic.twitter.com/RF5aOq8jCY
— Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) March 10, 2021
(This post is no longer available on X.)
The signal uses one hand: face the palm outward, tuck the thumb into the palm and fold the fingers over it. It is a campaign gesture, not an American Sign Language sign or a substitute for a sign language. The movement asks for a safe check-in; the surrounding situation still matters.
Yes, it’s very real pic.twitter.com/05E3W5E6xm
— Trinity (@TrinityResists) March 11, 2021
The symbol was launched by the Canadian Women's Foundation in April 2020, and thanks to women's groups online spreading the message, it has gained widespread traction. The initiative arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, when home isolation and increased use of video calls created particular difficulties for people living with abuse. Those conditions explain the campaign’s original timing; a person’s situation must still guide any response.
The 2021 coverage referred to reports of increased domestic-violence calls during pandemic restrictions. Individual reports should not be treated as a measured worldwide trend or a description of current conditions.
The article also raised concern for people facing trafficking or other forms of coercion. That is a reason to take a request for support seriously, rather than infer the exact circumstances from a gesture alone. Someone may need a conversation, information or help contacting a service.
Elizabeth Barajas-Román, then president and CEO of the Women’s Funding Network told Vogue:
"You have people stuck at home and maybe also someone who is sick with the virus. There are also mounting financial pressures and the general stresses of a pandemic. This all just adds to the escalation, and we really saw a need to start thinking about new tools that abuse victims can use."
She added:
"This symbol is really a way to say 'I see you, I'm going to help you. It's really important that we get this message out not only around the symbol, but we want everyone to understand how they can be of help if they see it."
The campaign encouraged people to share information about the signal online. This means that more people can respond and recognise when a person in danger is trying to reach out to them. Sharing the gesture together with guidance on responding can improve understanding; recognizing it alone is not a guarantee of safety.
[h/t: Upworthy]
Responding safely to the Signal for Help
The viral videos are part of this story’s history. For the meaning of the gesture and a response that follows the person’s wishes, use the guidance from its creator below.
What the signal asks you to do
The Canadian Women’s Foundation’s guide explains that the signal means the person wants you to reach out safely. It does not automatically mean that you should call the authorities immediately.
If you can make contact safely, listen, acknowledge what they share and ask what support they want. Depending on the circumstances, questions that can be answered with yes or no may make a conversation easier. Avoid assuming that a message, call or device is private.
If someone is in immediate danger, contact the local emergency services. For other situations, the Foundation offers resources and training on supporting someone experiencing abuse.
Share the response, not just the gesture
A short viral clip can make a hand movement memorable while leaving out the harder part: responding thoughtfully. When you share the signal, include its creator’s explanation and response guidance. Someone watching should understand both what they are seeing and why a person’s wishes and safety shape the next step.
The initiative began in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its usefulness goes beyond that moment: the central idea is making room for someone to ask for support without having to explain everything in front of other people.
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