THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “A pregnant woman, whether married or unmarried, has the right to decide whether to maintain the pregnancy or to have an abortion. If asked, the doctor is bound to do the surgical intervention. It’s the legal right of women...” So reads one of the recent social media posts from the official handle of the Kerala government's Women and Child Development department.
The theme of abortion is just one of the topics of the campaign by the department titled ‘Ini Venda Vittuveezhcha’, which translates to ‘No more compromises’. The campaign which was started at the fag end of January this year is gaining much traction on social media and turning into a major conversation starter.
'Ini Venda Vittuveezhcha' delves on a variety of issues including body shaming, victim-blaming, sexual harassment, workplace harassment, equality in workplaces, domestic violence, choice and equality. The campaign declares that it is time women stop compromising and not let such abuses pass.
‘Vittukalayilla’, which translates to ‘not letting things go’, is the most important word now. “Every time, a woman is asked to compromise and let go. The moment a girl is born she is asked to compromise. This is the popular notion. The concept of equal rights is often lost on people. We handpicked these issues and decided to run a campaign against it,” says Anupama TV, Director, Women and Child Development.
The topics were decided by the department after a brainstorming session and the creatives were developed by an advertising agency in Kochi. On average, three creatives themed on the issues are released on a weekly basis in the department's social media handle. A few KSRTC buses have also been branded based on the campaign.
"The majority of the responses have been positive but there are negative responses too. The campaign has become a progressive conversation starter and that is an achievement,” says Anupama. In a recent post regarding the right to abortion, Anupama says that often women aren’t allowed to decide and plan their pregnancy. "There is a lot of societal pressure. Whilst there are laws regarding this, they are always shunned and the society questions this right," she adds.
Anupama says that the department generally runs a two-and-a-half month campaign from Nirbhaya Day to International Women’s Day. “Last year, we did a mass campaign which included night walks. But this year with the pandemic, we decided to launch the campaign on social media. The campaign will continue till April.