UN Women and Dentsu Webchutney raise awareness about gender violence with #DrawALine

Dentsu Webchutney, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has partnered with UN women to raise awareness about the gender violence that goes unnoticed with their new campaign #DrawALine.

Aimed at spreading a message in a very clear yet powerful manner, it had to be emotional yet relatable in a way that could easily be understood across geographies and demographics.

Gender violence is a harsh reality that we can no longer ignore, and there will never be a better time to speak up, than now.

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The issue has been plaguing our society for way too long, and despite the country’s rapid rate of development, stories of domestic violence and physical abuse are repeatedly witnessed across different facets of society… be it urban or rural, high net income or below poverty line households.

The bigger pressing issue is that this very gender bias has been instilled in the society through a history of oppression and patriarchy, the light portrayal of domestic violence by media, and a general lack of coverage. This has become a reality that many women have come to accept. Either out of fear, or not seeing a way out, many endure such troubles without ever speaking up.

As concerned individuals we often ask ourselves, where do we draw a line? At what point has one individual had enough?

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The result is the short film Lakeer, a beautifully crafted piece that takes us through a series of traumatic events in the life of a woman living in rural India. The challenge however, was making the audience feel just as uneasy as the protagonist in the story.

It did so by using different elements of suspense, combined with perfectly timed audio cues that make the viewers feel restless and anxious. The conclusion left its audience with introspective questions about how the world needs to change in this regard… precisely the intended result of the campaign.

The symbolism in the film depicts the inter-generational cycle of violence and how it pervades into the daily life of women. By the end of it, it becomes very clear that is high time for us to stop this injustice, and #DrawALine where it truly matters.

Salina Wilson, Programme Analyst, UN Women, had this to say about the initiative “This is a short film we made with all our hearts - a cloud of despair, lined with the ray of hope that women, children, and just as importantly, men across the world, will find the courage to listen and speak about gender violence.”

Sudesh Samaria, Chief Creative Officer and Co-founder, Dentsu Webchutney, added "Violence against women and girls is something we all need to overcome, and as responsible individuals, it is time we come together to #DrawALine once and for all. Despite the film’s harsh visuals and narrative, we felt that this is a story that needs to be told."

Anil Kumar, Executive Vice President, Dentsu Webchutney, said “This campaign aims at creating something simple, yet audio-visually powerful that stays with the people. As a cause, it is one we adamantly stand for, and we truly relished the opportunity to work with UN Women, and support the mission in the best way we can.”