“You are not alone – Don’t hide, don’t conceal!!!” social media campaign for girls (2023)

The “Protecting Girls from Violence and Exploitation” project implemented by Save the Children, concluded the first phase of the “You are not alone” campaign in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police Department. The three-phased campaign aims to provide knowledge and information towards preventing sexual abuse and actions that should be taken in a risky situation. The first phase of the “You are not alone” social media campaign for girls, aged 12-18, was conducted from March to April 2023. The main purpose was to raise awareness of the signs of violence and exploitation, to educate about the types of sexual violence and exploitation as well as to improve knowledge on the channels to get help in case of violence and exploitation. Viral Partners LLC was selected as the marketing partner and MMCG as a research partner for this campaign. The visuals were designed specifically for teenage girls, including colors and images that were tested in due course with the target audience. The overall campaign focused on child-rights, trauma-informed, victim/survivor-centered approach. Active participation of the target audience with constructive feedback on the content and visuals from the beginning to the final product has had a great impact on the achievement of the campaign. A total of 63 contents of 15 types were created and gone viral through social media, traditional media, and JCDecaux ad channels, reaching 23 million people in a duplicated number within a month. As well, meetings and workshops were held involving more than 1,500 girls from 15 target schools in the capital city. These events have not only provided necessary information towards preventing violence and exploitation, but also identified girls in a risky situation who were transferred to the Metropolitan Police Department while keeping confidentiality and respecting their privacy. In February 2023, the MMCG research institute conducted a baseline survey among target girls aged 12-18 years. Findings show that 55% of girls had certain knowledge about violence and exploitation, having increased to 87% according to the end-line survey findings at the end of the campaign. There were many other highlights, such as the number of girls who contacted helpline 102 and 108 increased from 78% to 91% of the respondents. The biggest success of this campaign was that girls realized that “Anyone can become a victim of violence and exploitation. If you are abused or in a risky situation, you should not be afraid or ashamed, but you need to tell someone you trust and get protection”. The campaign video contents can be viewed here.