The Coronavirus has been dominating online searches, news reports, social media and even day to day conversations for months. It has impacted every part of our lives. We are bombarded with communication about washing our hands, staying safe and what symptoms to look out for. POWA, a feminist rights NGO, on a tiny budget, wanted to leverage people’s heightened awareness around pandemics to speak about a pandemic that has been plaguing our nation’s homes for years. Let’s talk about the silent pandemic. Domestic abuse.

By using the same language and iconography used by COVID-19 pandemic communication, we were able to draw people’s attention to another deadly pandemic. At first glance it looked like a Covid-19 symptoms poster, but on a closer examination, viewers saw that this was speaking to the symptoms of an issue that was as deadly as the Coronavirus. Domestic abuse! These posters were tactically placed in hospitals, taverns, public bathrooms, doctor’s rooms.

POWA - The Silent Pandemic

CREDITS

Graeme van Jaarsveld

Kirsty Husband

Jason Hes

Roanna Williams

Gold partners