Campaign to eliminate Gender Based Violence in the advertising industry launched

Fireworks Advertising, has launched a campaign dubbed “SeeTheUnseen” in an effort to eradicate Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the advertising and communications industry.

While addressing the guests at the launch of the campaign, at the Fireworks Group head offices in Ntinda, Kampala, Frank Muthusi, the Group chief executive officer highlighted the importance for the advertising industry in the fight against GBV at their workplace.

“As we launch this campaign today, I urge you all to SeetheUnseen, have self-reflection and reform if at all you have in any way been an enabler of Gender Based Violence,” said Muthusi.

He noted that gender based violence is a serious issue in the industry because it has an adverse impact on the profitability of advertising agencies.

"The gender seal is given to organisations that have achieved a certain level of equality as well as demonstrated their commitment and effort towards eliminating Gender Based Violence and all its manifestations within an organisation," said Muthusi who doubles as the chairman Uganda Advertising Association.

Beatrice Mugambe, the senior gender advisor at the United Nations Development Programme Uganda (UNDP), reechoed UNDP’s position on eliminating violence against women and girls.

"At the global level, The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) embarked on a multi-year programme, called the Spotlight Initiative focusing on eliminating violence against women and girls (VAWG) and harmful practices (HP) with Uganda as one of the implementing countries,"she said.

The chief operations officer of the Private Sector Foundation Uganda’s Grace Nshemeire Gwaku said  the number of women affected by gender based violence in the private sector is on the rise and as such, campaigns like SeeTheUnseen are necessary.