Background

During the onset of the pandemic, and the ensuing lockdown, while people were urged to stay at home, we had the challenge of throwing light on how unsafe home was for a select few with instances of Domestic Abuse rising and it being called the shadow pandemic by UN Women. We shed light on the plight of Women, helpless and unsafe, stuck at home with their abusers in a situation where social distancing meant nom access to help. The idea was to create a real and genuine portrayal of the times with a strong yet vulnerable female role model to show that anyone can be subject to this awful thing called Domestic Abuse, no matter which walk of life they are from only because they are weaker in strength and unable to fend for themselves when stuck in close quarters with a physically stronger abuser.

Describe the cultural / social / political climate in your region and the significance of your campaign within this context

It is a misconception that only women from the lower social and economic strata suffer from Domestic Abuse. It was important to underline the hidden truth with a real portrayal of the times. That no matter what section of society or walk of life the women came from, they were faced with the same sense of horror and helplessness, locked down in the house with their abusers, with no way of escape. Media and messaging urged people to "stay home, stay safe" and it was up to us to bring out the Hidden truth, that home was not a safe place for many, who were trapped with their abusers with no way of escape in a situation like the lockdown. While the Covid 19 pandemic and wearing a mask made it convenient to cover up the bruises and their shame, ironically the pandemic also made the home that everyone counted on as the safest place the most unsafe place for these women locked down with their abusers.

Describe the creative idea

A HELPLINE HIDDEN IN A WHATSAPP VIDEO. During the onset of the pandemic, while the entire country was urging people to stay in their homes with every phone call, every news bulletin signing off with “Stay home, stay safe”, we realised that there was an entirely unexpected side-effect of the lockdown that had not really come to light! This was not a war fought out in the open against an unknown enemy; it was a silent struggle waged inside the home against an all too familiar one, which is why Domestic Abuse was called the Shadow Pandemic by UN Women. We chose to focus on the silent struggle of women who, no matter who they was, or what economic or social strata of society they came from were faced with the same sense of horror and helplessness, locked in the same house as their abusers, with no way of escape.

Describe the strategy

All figures and numbers pointed to Domestic Abuse being the huge result of the Pandemic, so much so that UN Women declared it the Shadow Pandemic. So the data was available across articles around the world. The leap came from connecting the dots a little differently. Between media and messaging pushing people towards the home and realising that home was actually not safe for a few women trapped with their abusers due to the lockdown. The communication was targeted at both the victims, women who needed to know that there was a safe way to reach out for help during a time when social distancing prevented them from rushing to their neighbours or friends / relatives for help and to neighbours / communities to watch out and report such instances of suspicious behaviour and save lives. The approach was through a powerful piece of communication and a whatsapp helpline.

Describe the execution

A HELPLINE HIDDEN IN A WHATSAPP VIDEO. The film was primarily pushed on WhatsApp, the most used Social platform by families in India. Secondary release: all social media video platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Local Cable Channels First launched: National Lockdown on 01 May, 2020 across WhatsApp Groups. Secondary Release from May - Dec 2020 across other Channels. Its relevance continues shared and forwarded through the pandemic The impact was achieved on a local and national scale, the way it was designed. The film set out to reach, and reach out to women with a message of empathy and safety to let them know their situation was not lost. The Helpline received more than 9600 calls because it was a safe way to reach out for help during the pandemic while trapped at home with their abusers. Her Silent Cry for help is followed by the Whatsapp Helpline.

Describe the results / impact

This being a social piece, the only results that were sought were awareness of a safe place to seek help being available. We also leveraged WhatsApp for its ability to not just reach people but offer help to women in a more discreet and safe manner while they were trapped with their abusers. The impact was achieved on a local and national scale, the way it was designed. The film set out to reach, and reach out to women with a message of empathy and safety to let them know their situation was not lost in the pandemic. The Helpline received more than 9600 calls because it was a safe way to reach out for help during the pandemic while trapped at home with their abusers, doing its bit to fight the pandemic hiding in the shadows. Unfortunately change often takes time in issues like this, making the Helpline relevant