#DearDaddy: I will be called a wh*re, said the crying 14 year old. Will you take it as a joke?
What you think makes you who you are. And what you say has more or less the same affect. The power of words can shape a society and its culture. That’s what the Norwegian charity organization, CARE, which campaigns for women’s right has tried to capture in its latest video clip.
The film starts from the POV of a 14 year old crying girl, who is worried about her dignity and safety. She tells her father, who is the epitome of protection and care, “#DearDaddy, I will be called a wh*re”, highlighting the gravest problem of mental and physical abuse that has knowingly or unknowingly been inflicted on women and girls in the global society. And most of which goes unnoticed.
What starts as a joke in the teenage years in college (calling girls a wh*re, sl*t or other expletives) don’t just remain that. They have far more negative ramifications on the minds of teens and adults who say it and the ones who have to listen it as well. The throw away comments, the jokes all add up to the misery of girls who experience all forms of abuse in their everyday life, right from unwarranted physical touch to verbal abuses. And if that is not stopped, nobody can protect the girl, even her dad.
The video goes on to highlight how even the father in his college days had once jokingly called one of the girls, a ‘wh*re’. While he may not have meant it totally (yes, that’s how we defend verbal expletives, don’t we?) there are things that shouldn’t be treated as jokes. Ever.
As per the reports by WHO, 1 in every 3 women worldwide experience cases of physical or mental abuse, usually from a male partner, and for that to stop, everyone has to show zero tolerance for violence against women. It should start right away- from the first day, when someone calls a girl, a ‘wh*re’. Because it isn’t a joke, it’s the foundation of deeply engraved culture that says ‘it’s ok’, ‘it’s just a joke’ when clearly, it isn’t. Never tolerate violence against women – say it loud. That’s what the video has to say and it has already been watched by millions of people across the globe.
What’s your take on it? Have a look and share your comments.
Contributors:
Schjærven Advertisng Acency
Gry Sagvolden, Copywriter
Jens Gundersen, Art Direction
Knut Røse, Client Director
Mari Kristina Skaar Gjelstad, Project Manager
Jens Irvung, Graphic Design
Marianne Blindheim Eriksen, Content Manager
Pål Østen Rygh, Developer
Sarah McDonald, Norwegian voice/ English voice
Tangrystan Film Poduction
Beate Tangre, Producer
Nina motzfeldt, Project Manager
Gry Sætre, Producer
Jakob Strom, Producer and Director
Tormod Berge, Finishing
Alexan Magnusson, B-foto
Henrik Bel Gaied, Production Manager
Sarah Grey, Producer
Henrik Bellan, Production Manager
Nina Hobert, Composer and Swedish voice
Andres Rignell, Cinematographer
Alexan Magnusson, First assistant camera
Ola Ohlsson, Editor (Chimney)
Ole Marius Elvestad, Second Unit Tilt Drone
Christian Rudheim, Locationfinder
Sabina Törnberg, Colorist (Stopp)
Mattias Eklund, Sound (Chimney)
Christoffer Glans, Camera/First assistant camera
Johanna Louise Hügle, Mobil camera/actriss
Clockwork Postproduction
Gard Andreassen, Agency Producer
Hannah Hunter, Post Producer
Vårin Andersen, Cut
Andreas Aanerud, Media Manager
Ronny Aagren, Online and Cut
Semming Haraldsen, Sound design
CARE Norway
Hilde Vanvik, Marketing and Communications Manager
Therese Leine Søgård, Project Manager and Communications Advisor
Thank you to Artistgruppen, c/o Jones och Fröken casting for helping out with the casting.
And to all the actors, THANK YOU.
The campaign is supported by NORAD, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.
