KARACHI: White Ribbon Pakistan, a social sector organization working for gender equality, has resorted to an unorthodox approach to raise awareness about ending violence against women by launching playing cards with moral messages printed on them.
Each of the four Queens in the deck has been illustrated to depict a different form of abuse i.e. acid attacks, honor killings, psychological abuse and physical abuse. On the side of these 4 cards, there are informational messages both in Urdu and English.
These cards are being distributed by influential women, celebrities and social workers at different places like chai dhabbas, snooker and gaming clubs, road side cafés & tuck stops.
The ‘Queens Campaign’ intends to not only spark conversation around the topic, but also inform men of the laws on women protection.
In Pakistan, every 5th woman is subjected to physical violence with 80% of the total women population suffering this abuse. About 40% of all married women go through domestic violence in their lifetime.
White Ribbon is working with a different approach to counter the issue of violence against women by addressing the patriarchal mind-set of individuals, society and state; and spreading awareness about the consequences of domestic violence.
Speaking at the eve of the launching ceremony of the campaign, Chief Executive Officer of White Ribbon, Omer Aftab said, “One issue with most communication campaigns on domestic violence is that the media is either ignored or doesn’t reach the target market. In an effort to connect directly with its intended audience, White Ribbon used a highly innovative medium that has never been utilized before.” Says in press release
