There are hundreds of campaigns that speak for the rights of women and children, but few stand out as much as this one.
These are messages packaged in glossy magazines, not unlike those you find at supermarket’s cash registers, but with disturbing headlines like “Hide those bruises with 35 easy makeup tricks”, “50 recipes we love so easy an illiterate child could make them”, or “Exercise secrets you can get in shape for giving birth at 14!”
The “Cover Stories” campaign was launched by Catapult, a U.S.-based crowd-funding site dedicated to girls and women around the world. It focuses on underage marriage, slavery and sex trafficking, using visual metaphor and appealing headlines for shock effect to stir emotions. Most importantly, it’s memorable.
You may think those headlines are irrelevant to Indonesia. Well, think again. In Indonesia, cases of violence against women remain high, and in most cases unprosecuted. The National Commission of Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has recorded sexual violence on girls aged as young as 13-year-old, and everyday at least 35 women suffer from sexual violence. Since 2007, the number of sexual violence cases has surged by 200 percent. Meanwhile, on the regulations side, there are 342 regulations that discriminate against women and minorities, more than double the figure recorded in 2009.
So do take a look at these mock magazine covers and take the prescribed course of action, if the message so moves you.
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