Campaign on ‘Feminism’ presented the Wrong way

2-year-old Social Media Campaign on ‘Feminism’ Manipulated to Launch a Fake Campaign

Around 2 years back, a social media campaign on ‘feminism’ was shot at different locations in the city of Jaipur. During the campaign, 9 girls from the city were shot holding different posters, displaying messages on feminism. These posters contained what men think of women and how they should change their approach/mindset towards women.

This campaign on ‘feminism’ got viral within a few days from being published on the social media. Lakhs of people shared the photographs of these girls holding messages and appreciated their way of expression. The campaign had a worldwide success. But now, this same campaign has been manipulated to launch a fake campaign over social media.

The messages have been changed from addressing the girls’ views on ‘feminism’ to someone else’s thoughts on ‘reservation’. Girls’ photographs have been morphed and the sad part is that – even these morphed photographs are getting viral now. The girls who had participated in the campaign are shocked to see how their photographs have been used.

Fake Campaign Outraged Girls

The girls are shocked as well as angry about how someone could use their photographs for sending a message, which they never shared. It is actually very disappointing to see such manipulation of expression. The guilty must be trialed and punished for manipulating the photographs and launching a fake campaign, with messages that the girls might not believe in.

In the words of Priyanka Agrawal

One of the girls from the shot campaign, Priyanka Agrawal says, “Many people have told me about the fake photographs going viral. I am shocked to see how people have presented our campaign and messages in the wrong manner. I have filed a report against this with the FBI.”

In the words of Anuj Agarwal, the campaign designer

Anuj Agarwal, the designer of the campaign, says, “We wanted to change the mindset the society has about women. But seeing the fake campaign left us in shock. We will for sure post all fake photos to notify Facebook about it. If these photographs are still not taken back, we would report the case to Cyber Crime cell.

Some messages the girls had shared in the original campaign

• I am living my life, following my heart and doing what I want to do – I am not a REBEL.
• Don’t judge me the way I dress up. I am different and I have my own style.
• If a girl is in love, it’s natural and it does not make her characterless.
• A girl can go out to a party, wear a dress and get home late. Do not assassinate her character!
• When a girl is alone, it’s not an ‘opportunity’; it’s a ‘responsibility’.