Pic: Jeshoots
A campaign highlighting the subtle signs of domestic abuse was launched this week, as a part of Bromley and Croydon Women’s Aid’s ‘16 Days of Action’.
Through a series of fake social media posts, the charity aims to highlight coercive behaviour that might be “misinterpreted as love”, particularly at the beginning of a relationship.
The campaign follows the journey of a fake beauty blogger as she documents her life online. Each post gives some insight into life in an abusive relationship where control is gradually excerted in subtle and less obvious ways.
A spokesperson for Bromley and Croydon’s Women’s Aid told EastLondonLines: “We are hoping that her story will raise awareness of some of the warning signs to look out for in an abusive relationship, encouraging women in similar situations to contact us for support. We are also hoping that our campaign will help to challenge victim-blaming attitudes by demonstrating some of the obstacles women face when attempting to leave an abusive relationship.”
Does this behaviour look familiar? If your partner is constantly texting or calling to keep tabs on you this could be a warning sign of an abusive relationship.
Keep up with our #16daysofaction campaign here – https://t.co/fgygn9tsc9#16daysofactivism2017 #MrPerfect #VAWG pic.twitter.com/fjkHHvyGe1
— Bromley & Croydon WA (@BromleyWA) November 27, 2017
They said: “Although our beauty blogger is a fictionalised character, all of the events she describes have happened to women we know, or women we have supported.”
One post describes how her boyfriend exchanged her dress for one that would he preferred, while another post talks about how he take her banks cards away so she does not spend too much money on make -up. Another mentions that she will no longer be going to a friend’s party as her boyfriend insisted that they instead go to dinner and a movie.
Pic: Bromley and Croydon Women’s Aid
The campaign is a part of Women’s Global Leadership’s ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’. This year’s theme is ‘Leave No One Behind: End Violence against Women and Girls’.
Women’s Aid’s updates will continue daily until December 10. The campaign have been covering; International Human Rights Defenders Day (November 29), World Aids Day (December 1), and the anniversary of the Montreal École Polytechnique Massacre (December 6).
On their website, 16 Days of Action said: “The decision to make the event span [these dates] was deliberate to highlight the connection between human rights and domestic violence.”
Twitter: @_chloejames96
