Abstract
Goals of the campaign: “Respect is a Must - for Everyone.”
· Obtain widespread attention
· Strengthen young women and girls, convey images of stronger, more courageous women and girls
· Make visible and clear that young women and girls can be strong
· Create a foundation for discussion
· Stimulate and provoke public discussion
· Impart thought-provoking inputs
· Initiate changes in attitudes
· Inspiration!
It’s about showing images of strong women and girls and communicating the demand for respect in non-allusive, simple and direct language.
Idea and starting point
The combined participative empowerment initiative and public poster campaign was developed together with the participating girls during the pilot project in Basel. The images of youth portrayed in the media are mostly stereotyped and negative and predominantly connected with violence and similar scandalous issues. Not only does the media subsequently mask out the abundant voluntary engagement of youth, it often omits the perspective of youth. The perspective of young women and girls especially - regarding the topic of violence and sexism among youth, for example - is missing in the public forum. This is where the campaign: “Respect is a Must - for Everyone.” takes its position: for once girls and young women with strong, self-determined messages stand in the spotlight. The campaign thus turns the page over, creating a new perspective regarding sexual violence. Young women and girls are not portrayed as passive victims, but rather as active agents and stakeholders. Young women and girls contribute to the dialogue. In order for them to be perceived as active stakeholders, it is essential that they be encouraged and supported in actively influencing and determining the society in which they live regarding their issues and realities. The participative nature of the campaign engages an innovative approach, integrating expertise and experience accumulated through years of gender-specific youth work with girls in youth groups and projects. The active participation of young women and girls is central in creating a society where both genders have equal opportunities to co-develop and co-determine. Accordingly, the co-development and active participation of the girls and young women involved at every stage of the campaign: “Respect is a Must - for Everyone.” has been exemplarily safeguarded. The participants have been involved in media analysis, empowerment processes, photography workshops, the co-development of graphic design and project statements and the presentation of the campaign at the kick-off event, including interviews with experts and the press.
Project description
The campaign: “Respect is a Must - for Everyone.” is a campaign against sexual, physical and psychological violence, working together interactively and participatively with girls and young women with the aim of strengthening their self-confidence through a resource-oriented approach.
The initiative includes two components:
Process: In various workshops the young girls and boys consider the topic-cluster “self-assertion, respect, boundaries and body language, etc.“ and acquire key competencies through image analyses and role playing that enable them to recognize and critique portrayals of gender in the media. Adopting a cross-section approach to gender mainstreaming, boys and girls work separately. In this way, a resource-oriented approach to the topic can be achieved.
Production: Through the production of advertising material (co-development of graphic design and representation) and self-formulated statements (presentation of the campaign at the kick-off event) a youth-just and refreshing overhaul of a sensitive topic is made possible. A strong identification of the girls with the project may be achieved through the co-development and co-creation of communication media (posters, film, e-cards, spots for radio podcasts). At the same time the initiative has a preventative component by including participants in all stages and processes. Central to all utilization of media forms is conveying wholistic and message-oriented images and representations (i.e. body language and facial expressions that demand respect) in order to provide an alternative and set off the sexualized images in media and advertising. The public representation of partner institutions appear under the label campaign: “Respect is a Must - for Everyone.” so that the corporate identity of the initiative and a high level of brand recognition is assured. This in turn generates greater public attention and awareness for a difficult topic.
In short, the two-sided strategy may be summarized by the following formula:
Co-determination and participation (internal resonance)
= Bottom-up Perspective
+
Conveying media images and representations on the topic sexual assault (external resonance)
= Top-down Perspective
--> Production = Prevention= Initiative!
Due to the initiative’s conceptual openness it may be easily adapted to meet the specific needs and circumstances of individual communities and localities, a fact that has already generated wide interest. It is important to the initiators that the campaign resonates internally as well as externally. The initiative includes a process-oriented component, which involves concrete investigation of the topics self-assertion, self-confidence, setting personal boundaries, abuse and sexual violence, but also includes heightening awareness and moral courage and action. The production-oriented component includes the creation of posters, including photo-shooting and public events such as exhibition openings and kick-off events and associated press and media relations.
Resources
Through participative collaboration with numerous partners from various German and French-speaking cantons which have supported the initiative by contributing their resources and co-developing projects, responsibility for the initiative is shared. This approach makes collaboration with specialists from across Switzerland, who each bring along their experience and expertise, possible. The aim is to network and synergize existing know-how beyond national boarders.
Organisation description
The National Arip Association was founded, toward the aim of national expansion, following the initial pilot project in Basel. Staff members include two project assistants, Adrienne Fichter and Julia Büchele, and project director Dinah Zanetti, who work in collaboration with additional field specialists (photographers, graphic designers, youth workers) and diverse institutions from the numerous cantons which have taken on national coordination and implementation of the initiative.