Compostela in black

November 25, 2015
by: Uqui Permui

On 17th December 1999 the General Assembly of the United Nations declared the 25th November the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, inviting governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to develop activities to raise the population’s awareness about the situation of violence in which many women live.

Male violence is the most extreme expression of the social inequalities that women face. This is a type of violence that women suffer just for being women, a silenced inequality, hidden an in many cases normalised. This year, 5 women in Galicia were murdered and 35 in the rest of Spain. Furthermore, in the last year, 3 of every 10 women older than 16 declares that they have been victims of physical or sexual violence. The local government of Santiago de Compostela considers that this dramatic reality requires a unanimous and firm answer of all the society which should make clear the social rejection of all kinds of violence against women.

For that reason, and in order to promote and point out the rejection of the citizens of Compostela against any kind of violence against women, from the Department of Equality, Economic Development and Tourism we launched “25N. Compostela in Black”. This campaign through which we propose, that during the week from 19th to 25th November, the commercial establishments of Compostela dress for mourning (staff, shop windows, mannequins, furniture, etc.) as a sign of mourning for all the women who suffer from violence and as a response to the worst of consequences, death.

 

 

The result

Compostela in black was a campaign with a social design whose aim is to raise awareness about the problem of gender violence. We invited the commercial network to participate and the answer was nearly unanimous, more than 300 establishments in Compostela had their shop windows covered in black for a week from 19th to 25th November. As supporting tools posters with different slogans like “space free from gender violence”, “respect my decisions” or “always free always alive” and t-shirts of the brand were provided. Commercial establishments of all types participated, from little shops to big shopping centres they joined to the motto Compostela in black. The action had a great impact on local television as well as in all Spain and the social networks.

 

Creative direction: Uqui Permui

Technical Coordination: Lucia Canoura

To carry out the campaign we counted, among others, on the collaboration of:

  • Cineuropa
  • Area Central Shopping Centre
  • Socio-cultural and juvenile centre Ensanche
  • Miguel Sánchez Fernández
  • Santiago Futsal
  • University participation and integration service of the USC, and the volunteers: Clara González, Daniel Nieto, Laura Vázquez, Nuria Losada, Beatriz Piñeiro, Lara Adán, Javier Ramos, Iria Seoane, Sonia Arosa and María Astray.