Vidya Balan has joined hands with Rahul Bose's NGO HEAL [ Help Eradicate Abuse through Learning] to fight child sexual abuse.

Child abuse is one of the worst problems of the country and is very often swept under the rug.

The talented actress believes that it is time to speak up against the social malaise and fight it head- on.

Vidya Balan has played a survivor of child abuse in her film 'Kahaani A: Durga Rani Singh'

Vidya shares,"The abuse is often so traumatic that it paralyses people. No one wants to talk about it... It leaves you hopeless`

The actress is aware of how the victims of child abuse are often scarred by the episode, but is hopeful that this initiative will help in creating a dialogue between parents and teachers, and the child to address the subject of sexual abuse. It also aims to help deal with any situation of abuse faced by children.

She further says about her association with Rahul Bose and shares," After Kahaani A released, many people reached out to me to share their personal experiences of the trauma. What was shocking though was that many people I thought I knew well, were also victims of it. We tend to believe that child sexual abuse doesn't happen to people we know. That's when I realised how wrong my perception was. So, when Rahul told me about his initiative to fight this stigma in our society, I immediately decided to be a part of it.`

A special event is held today in the suburbs of Mumbai where Vidya and Rahul will speak on the problem of child sexual abuse.