Visual imagery can be a powerful medium for mobilization and awareness around a specific issue. These depictions are especially potent if they utilize a consistent symbol. Symbolism can capture the issue in a vivid and recognizable way. The Resource Centre for Gender Equality (ABAAD), established in 2011, has risen to considerable prominence for its annual “16 Days of Activism” campaigns. Each campaign has a different theme to address gender equity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
A White Dress for Justice and Awareness
ABAAD’s theme for 2016 was “A White Dress Doesn’t Cover the Rape.” It centered around a universal visual image—a shocking depiction of a woman in a bloodied white dress—to spread awareness of gender-based violence, and to advocate for the abolition of Article 522 of the Lebanese Penal Code. Article 522 protects a rapist from prosecution and punishment. It stipulates that if the perpetrator of sexual assault marries their victim, “prosecution shall be stopped and in case a decision is rendered, the execution of such decision shall be suspended.” Similar codes exist in other countries, along with more informal “kangaroo courts” that force survivors to marry their rapists.
ABAAD wanted to intervene in this long-standing abuse and miscarriage of justice. One of their aims was to raise awareness of the existence of Article 522 within the Lebanese Penal Code. At the time, only 1% of the Lebanese population was aware of the article. In addition to abolishing the Article 522, they wanted to advocate for the right of survivors to refuse marriage to their rapist. They wanted to combat the stigma and shame that surrounds female survivors of rape. ABAAD believes that marrying a survivor of rape to their perpetrator legitimizes and normalizes rape and sexual assault.
Striking Visuals for Legal Change
Alongside lobbying efforts, ABAAD circulated materials to educate the Lebanese public about their campaign. They paired this with the striking visual of a bruised young girl in a haphazard white dress made of bandages and a veil. ABAAD believed a shocking image was necessary to convey the severity of the issue and the impacts on women in the MENA region. In their campaign, ABAAD utilized traditional media outlets as well as the hashtag #undress522 on social media to disseminate this visual and to spread awareness of the egregious crimes that Article 522 protected.
They followed up with the release of a video using same visual imagery of a young girl clothed in a white dress made of bandages, streaked with red blood. The video had only one line of text:
Article 522 of the Lebanese Penal Code exonerates rapists if they marry their victim.
Their campaign culminated in a silent protest staged near the Lebanese parliamentary building, as participants dressed up as bruised, bloody brides in dresses made of bandages.
Global Impact: ABAAD’s Campaign Success
These efforts attracted considerable national attention. The video by ABAAD went viral on Facebook. It has been viewed nearly 3 million times, an astronomical number considering that Lebanon’s population numbers sits under 4.5 million. It also gained attention from Lebanon’s diasporic populations. The performance protest put on by ABAAD attracted international attention from news media outlets as well as the UN. This elevated the visual of the bloodied wedding dress and bride to an international scale. ABAAD successfully used this visual symbol to captivate international attention and catalyze awareness and action.
Ultimately, this protest within ABAAD’s broader campaign efforts was successful in pushing the Lebanese Parliamentary Administration and Justice Committee to formally abrogate Article 522.
Unfortunately, two exceptions to its effects remained: 1) Under Article 505 of the Lebanese Penal Code, which concerns “consensual” sexual relationships with minors between the ages of 15 and 18, and 2) Article 518, which concerns non-consensual sexual relationships with minors between the ages of 15 and 18, but with the prior agreement and promise of marriage. To invoke these exceptions, the marriage must occur to suspend the judicial proceedings. Additionally, a social worker must report on the psychological status of the women every six months for a period of three years.
ABAAD, while raising concerns about these exceptions, considers the abrogation of Article 522 to be a success. They continue to build on this success in their work to end gender-based violence in the region.
For another example of a powerful visual symbol of “the fist” used in Serbia to galvanize support, see Plan B:Using Secondary Protests to Undermine Repression (page 9).
ABAAD is a Lebanon-based civil organization that works to advance the development of gender equality in Lebanon and the broader MENA region through advocacy, direct services and dialogues.
Sources:
https://www.newtactics.org/conversations/cultural-resistance-power-music-and-visual-art-protest/
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1016/S0968-8080(04)23119-6
http://nna-leb.gov.lb/en/show-news/75356/Justice-Parliamentary-Committee-abrogates-Article-522-of-Criminal-Code
https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1035651/projet-dabrogation-de-larticle-522-reactions-mitigees-de-la-societe-civile.html
https://www.newtactics.org/wp-content/uploads/Plan-B-English-1.pdf
