We have many ways to communicate, but are they really effective?
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women and girls is a pervasive and deeply entrenched problem that affects societies across the globe. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach that extends beyond traditional communication methods, including transcending the online and offline spheres. Under the Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, Target 5.2 in particular aims to “eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation”.
In an era characterised by rapidly advancing technology and diverse communication channels, the importance of employing multi-modal ways of communicating about SGBV cannot be overstated. Yes, we might have many ways to communicate, but are they really effective?
In this post, I will highlight some examples of multi-modal approaches, including visual, auditory, and written forms of communication, used to raise awareness, showcase resistance, educate, and advocate for the prevention of violence against women and girls. However, I will focus more on the visual side, connecting it with artivism.
When Caged Birds Sing…
Auditory communication encompasses the use of sound, music, and spoken word to raise awareness about violence against women and girls. Sound has the unique ability to elicit strong emotional responses, making it a powerful tool for conveying messages of empowerment, support, and solidarity. Different campaigns have been developed using music, podcasts, and, audio documentaries and other forms of communication. These can serve as platforms for survivors to share their stories and for other stakeholders to discuss the root causes and prevention strategies.
For instance, music can serve as a language that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers to communicate messages of support and solidarity. In 2013, UN Women brought 25 artists together from 20 countries and recorded the “One Woman” song. For me this song is about solidarity and empowerment, but on the critique side I have to ask: why is the song in English? What are the messages conveyed through the lyrics and through the images?
“Do you know any artists who have used their music to address issues of domestic violence and gender-based violence? Let me know in the comments section below!”
Broken Promises and Love Letters
Written communication is a foundational tool in addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG). It includes a wide range of materials, such as books, articles, reports, and social media posts, etc. that provide valuable information, statistics, and personal stories to educate and advocate for change. Written communication can include legislation aimed to prevent and eradicate SGBV. Yet, in some countries the promise of improved legislation to protect women and girls, remains a broken promise. According to World Bank, “despite the existence of violence against women across the globe, specific laws against gender-based violence are not universal (target 5.2). In 49 countries there is no specific law against domestic violence, in 45 there is no legislation to address sexual harassment, and 112 countries do not criminalize marital rape”.
Written communication also plays a key role in spreading knowledge about women’s rights and encouraging public discourse on the issue. Social media platforms, such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram, have become instrumental in raising awareness about VAWG. One example is the wave of X posts started by the Spanish journalist Cristina Fallarás (within the context surrounding the Wolf Pack (“La manada”) case from Spain, started in 2016), using the #Cuéntalo (TellYourStory), recounting her own experiences of sexual violence. Within weeks, #Cuéntalo led to “over 160 million Tweets from over 60 countries around the globe. In some cases, the #Cuéntalo posts communicated remembrance, solidarity, resistance, victims and survivors’ stories, including demanding accountability.
The Power of Creativity: Artivism
Visual communication can be perceived as a powerful medium for addressing societal and human rights issues, including that of SGBV. A single image can convey emotions, stories, and statistics that resonate with a wide audience in different ways, subject to each person’s interpretation. Or, as the adage says, it can be “worth 1000 words”. Artivism specifically can described as “a set of practices where political activism is combined with artistic creation”.
One example that I found really powerful, yet heartbreaking is the artistic installation, “Wall of Dolls” in Memory of Femicide Victims.
Femicides/Feminicide refers to gender-related killings of women and girls resulting from intentional homicides, with a gender-related motivation. It is “one of the most extreme and brutal manifestation of violence against women”. According to UN Women data, “in 2021, around 45,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members”. This means that, on average, more than five women or girls are killed every hour by someone in their own family”.
Source: Google Maps, Wall of Dolls/ il Muro della Bambole
The ”Wall of Dolls” was born in 2014 based on an idea by the artist Jo Squillo, and is located on a major public road, called Via Edmondo de Amicis in Milano, Italy. Its intentional and strategic location are key: being broadly accessible, it is a way to ensure that a wide audience is reached, every day. Being located in close proximity to archaeological sites and ruins (e..g: Anfiteatro Romana and Colono di San Lorenzo), close to public transport, residential buildings, including many restaurants, this location allows both tourists and local residents to stop, witness and reflect upon SGBV.
Source: AC/Personal archive, “Wall of Dolls”, Via Edmundo de Amicis, Milano (ITALY, September 2023)
The images above convey a shocking, brutal and real message. The wall encompasses different elements: visual, direct messaging including written text such as: “Stop violence” (see Images 1,2), “femicide is a crime against humanity” (see Image 2), “women have always been the engine of change, now our commitment is to change male culture” (see Image 2), “in the memory of femicide victims” (see Images 1,5), “bring your doll” (see Image 8). Thus, in my view, the Wall fulfils different yet interconnected functions such as: raising awareness, creating solidarity and building a movement (e.g.: the Wall was endorsed by several individuals and invites people to bring their doll), commemorating and memorialising the lives lost.
At the same time, through material elements such as the banner with portraits, the dolls, the gun, the knives, the scissors – different messages are communicated. For instance, in my interpretation, the banner illustrating different portraits (see Image 9) is particularly interesting. On the one hand, it can be seen as a memorial site, one that raises awareness and shows us the human loss and cost of femicides: all the lives lost.
On the other hand, this also makes me critically reflect whether it is ethical for us to portray the photos of femicides victims? What about issues related to preserving dignity or consent? Whilst, several other “portraits” appear to illustrate victims names, but do not showcase a photo. Is this more ethical? Where should we draw the line? And how that line should look like? Thirdly, if you look closely at the banner, you could see illustrations of portraits with white question marks in the middle: for me, this communicates another strong message, and makes me ask myself: Who is next? and What are we doing about it?
With its broad accessibility and raw messaging, for me, the “Wall of Dolls” serves as a platform to provoke conversations, build solidarity, challenge norms, and demand change while serving, both as a memorial site but also as a space for interrogating our own beliefs, attitudes and behaviours.
With all the options, what do we do?
In an ever-changing world where technology and communication methods continue to evolve, it is imperative that we adapt and harness the power of multi-modal communication to combat this pervasive issue. By combining visual art, music, podcasts, reports, and social media, we can create a comprehensive and compelling narrative that inspires change, empowers survivors, and calls for justice. Each have their unique strengths, allowing us, through their medium – to reach diverse audiences, while evoking various emotional responses. By utilising these diverse communication modes and different channels, we can raise awareness, educate, challenge and advocate for the prevention of SGBV. But, are we effective? And what do we do to eliminate it?
“Thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below”.