Netizens step up to support #DNAFightsRape

In a citizen awareness drive, #DNAFightsRape, social media users highlight the importance of forensic evidence in a sexual offence case.

Launched by Ogilvy India and GTH-GA in November 2019, in partnership with the Delhi Police, AIIMS, UN Women India, Red FM and MARD, #DNAFightsRape aims to educate people on the crucial rule of DNA evidence in sexual offence and rape cases. This year, the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University and Girl Up (UN Foundation) joined the movement. The momentum resulted in several social media posts around #DNAFightsRape.

At the core of the initiative is a simple message that bodily evidence is key to a rape investigation and the survivor must not be washed or their clothes cleaned or burnt as it would lead to loss of the rapist's DNA, which can be submitted as conclusive evidence in the legal proceedings.

The social media users had posted online on July 17, the Day of International Criminal Justice. The campaign was helmed by a video by write, anchor & actor, Gitikka Ganju Dhar.

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The participating social media users further nominated others to share their pictures with such placards to raise awareness about the issue. The page wheresthedna was central to the efforts and so were the pages associated with organisations that had partnered for the initiative.