Saudi Arabia has launched a visual campaign against the abuse of women. An advertisement, which shows a woman with a black eye, encourages victims of domestic violence to come out of hiding. According to a statement by the campaign, “Women’s abuse is a real taboo subject in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Nobody really knows the statistics, as it is never spoken about.”
The campaign was launched at a time when some positive changes towards women rights are happening in the country. Recently, the first female members of the Shura Council were sworn in by the King and the Justice Ministry registered the country’s first female lawyer. However women are still not allowed to drive cars and must be escorted by a male relative everywhere they go.
Fadi Saad, managing director of
Memac Ogilvy Riyadh, the advertising agency that created the campaign in cooperation with the
King Khalid Foundation, said “It is one bold first step towards legislation to fight women’s abuse in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We believe that the authorities are ready to support such a drive today given the evolution that is taking place in the country.”