IGNITING A MOVEMENT OF CHANGE AND HOPE

TitleIGNITING A MOVEMENT OF CHANGE AND HOPE
BrandDAUGHTERS OF MOTHER INDIA
Product / ServiceDOCUMENTARY FILM
CategoryA05. Media & Publications
EntrantWEBER SHANDWICK New York, USA
Idea Creation 2 RESPONSIBLE FILMS Mumbai, INDIA
PR WEBER SHANDWICK Mumbai, INDIA
Production RESPONSIBLE FILMS Mumbai, INDIA
Idea Creation WEBER SHANDWICK Mumbai, INDIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Vibha Bakshi Responsible Films Chief Executive Officer
Valerie Pinto Weber Shandwick Chief Executive Officer
Sabina Lama Weber Shandwick Associate Director
Ankur Sharma Weber Shandwick Associate Director
Aditi Mallick Weber Shandwick Writer
Sonia Huria Viacom 18 Head of Corporate

The Campaign

We sought to leverage the power of the documentary to educate, build awareness and ultimately, ignite change. But to affect meaningful change within the nation’s complex judicial system, THE POLICE had to be sensitized first, as they are on the front lines of reporting such crimes. These officers come from the same society that historically hasn’t believed in equal rights for women. They are a product of their environment. So they needed to be trained to be more sensitive to victims, as only then would sex crimes be reported. So emerged our idea for this movement to focus on the police, to gender sensitize them, and bring them to the forefront to connect with society around this critically important platform. This was achieved through screenings for the public and police officers, followed by discussion and debate.

Execution

Our training sessions educated police officers about the important role they play in ensuring that victims of sexual violence have a safe haven where they can report crimes, where they’re treated with respect and compassion. Next, we needed to engage consumers directly, to ensure women could feel confident that their allegations would be aggressively actioned upon and their assailants vigorously pursued. To do so, we: -Secured India’s first-ever prime-time documentary simulcast across a major entertainment network in 8 languages – a bold step for the network. This screening was timed to the three-year anniversary of the brutal gang rape around which the film centers. -Created short film vignettes/PSAs which screened in Mumbai movie theaters over 90 days.

More than 150,000 police officers across India so far have screened Daughters of Mother India as part of their ongoing training – the first time in the nation’s history a documentary has been incorporated into officer instruction. Workshops and dialogue sessions followed screenings. The film is now a mandatory part of the National Police Academy curriculum. Importantly, police are already experiencing an increased willingness among women to report sexual violence – even in states like Haryana where gender ratios are most distorted and sexual crimes, rampant. Early police estimates already show a 20% increase in reported sex crimes. Daughters of Mother India was also simulcast on a major network during prime-time in 8 languages – also a first in India – reaching 10 million people. Short-form vignettes/PSAs aired in theaters nationwide, reaching an estimated 9 million consumers. What started as a documentary became a powerful vehicle for change.

The Situation

Victims of rape are often abused twice. First by the rapist, then by the justice system. So when launching the documentary Daughters of Mother India we framed it fit the primary stakeholder: the police. We reached out to local police chiefs, and through their support we arranged the nation’s first screenings for police departments across India. And we followed up with workshops. Rare partnerships between the local administrations Sarpanch, and police were formed. What started as a documentary had become a vehicle for change. In the end, the National Police Academy adopted the film as a mandatory part of its curriculum.

The Strategy

Victims of rape are often abused twice. First by the rapist, then by the police. So when launching the documentary Daughters of Mother India we first framed it fit the primary stakeholder: the nation’s police officers. We reached out to local police chiefs, and through their support we arranged the nation’s first screenings for police departments across India. And we followed up with intensive workshops and dialogue sessions. Rare – and critically important – partnerships between local administrators, Sarpanch, and police were formed. To date, 150,000 police officers have screened the documentary. Next, we engaged consumers directly.