The Ministry of Women’s Affairs is running a graphic and 15-word message design competition on Facebook, which is part of the World 16 Day Campaign Event to call for the stop on violence against women.
The World 16 Day Campaign Event is an initiative by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, held in conjunction of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women this year.
This campaign has started from November 25 and will continue until December 10.
According to the press release of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), the design competition on Facebook is organised by the MoWA LWGE Program. It is supported by the Embassy of Sweden in Phnom Penh and UNDP Cambodia.
The ministry said that to participate in the design competition, Facebook users have to post a work of art which has been designed with the relevant educational message onto the ministry’s Facebook page.
Participants of the competition stand a chance to win rewards ranging from $150 to $350, as well as other prizes.
“In this competition, the artwork posting period is from December 1 to 6. The top five artworks which would have garnered the most ‘likes’ will become the winners,” said the ministry.
Sar Sineth, Legal Protection Department deputy director of the ministry calls for the public to support the 16 Days Campaign, by clicking “like” on artworks posted onto the ministry’s Facebook page.
“Please share to let your friends join in this competition, which is open for artwork posting and voting until 5:00pm December 6. The team organiser would like to thank those who send artworks to join this competition,” she added.
She said that violence against women and girls continues to occur during the current Covid-19 pandemic period we are in.
Besides the competition, Cambodia has released many measures and actions to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.
Sineth said that the society must take this issue seriously, ensure victims are rescued on time and people in general is aware of the issue.
Independent singer and songwriter Chet Kanhchna, who joined the 16 Day Campaign, said that many women and girls were verbally and physically abused. She encourages victims of violence to speak out publicly.
“I was abused with improper words while riding my motorbike to work out. My feeling at that time was anxious, scared and furious, but I did not give an immediate response,” she said.
She urged the public to think twice before using words and actions that could be abusing others.
The 16 Day Campaign is held to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It started on 25 November and will conclude on Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10, 2020.
The campaign promotes the elimination of gender-related violence, and violence against women and girls in all forms.
