This year’s Women’s Refuge Annual Appeal week finishes today. Women’s Refuge is and organization based in New Zealand that strives for influences the prevention and elimination of family violence. This award-winning advert, though very striking, did not quite strike the right chord with me. There’s another print Ad that connotes the same idea. Have a look. The caption reads ‘In New Zealand many women are denied some human rights that I enjoy’.
Somehow I feel they are trying to push the boundaries in order to expose the despicable that is kept hidden so often. I know they are trying to reframe domestic violence as a human rights issue in the public consciousness. I know they are trying to be careful by inserting the words ‘many’ and ‘some’. But until someone can convince me otherwise this approach invites the perception that they are, at worst, maximizing a problem in NZ by minimizing it in a country in Africa OR, at best, creating the impression that the problems are of similar magnitude in both countries. Neither approach seems wise or accurate. Why can’t the problem in NZ stand on its own as an appalling one?
I feel a tension within and that is what Women’s Refuge wants me to feel, I suspect. On one hand I want to be revolted into action by what happens there in NZ - but not at the expense of losing sight of what is happening elsewhere which is of a quite different type and magnitude. I am disturbed by the approach taken by this advertising campaign because I find it minimizes - maybe even trivializes - these differences. I realize that some of you may want to add me to the fires - but these are honest issues for me. How do we stay alive to local and global human rights issues and see both in proper perspective and with full commitment?
Via Advertolog
Tags: 2008, Advertising, Advertising Agency, Africa, Appeal, domestic violence, New Zealand, NZ, Public health, Refuge, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellington, safety, Violence, Women, Women refuge appeal week