UNAIDS’ latest campaign ‘The Mirror’ busts gender norms

Gender stereotypes especially towards LGBTIQ lead to stigma and discrimination. This is more pronounced in children and adolescents as diversity among them is not commonly understood and society puts massive pressure on them to conform to assigned gender norms at birth.

Statistics show that trans teens are much more likely to attempt suicide than teens whose identities match what is written on their birth certificates. And, transgender women have some of the highest rates of HIV - up to 40 per cent in some cases - compared to the rest of the population.

UNAIDS campaign film ‘The Mirror’ for International Transgender Day of Visibility portrays a young boy who opts out of playing with other children during a big Indian kite festival. His mother eggs him on but he sneaks off downstairs alone to drape himself in a woman’s scarf. The boy smiles seeing himself in a mirror.

Moments later, his mother and his grandmother catch him in the act and later join him. The campaign has been crafted by FCB India.

The film’s writer Swati Bhattacharya, chief creative officer of FCB in India has captured the pivotal moment of self-recognition. Often, she explained, we look at children as our projects and want to make them extrovert and studious and obedient, refusing to see them for who they are and how do they want to grow up. “I wanted to show that all discrimination begins at home and often it is this brokenness is what a child suffers from even after they become an adult. If you are accepted at home you are more ready to face the world outside,” Bhattacharya said.

Credits:

Agency: FCB India

Chief Creative Officer: Swati Bhattacharya

Account Management: Vishakha Khatri

Account Planning: Kizie Basu

Creative Team: Gia Fernandes, Anusheela Saha

Digital Team: Vinesh Nandikhol, Roshan Shetty, Giamaria Fernandes, Aabhaas Worah, Nikhil Fernandes, Ponnada Kulteja, Sukrit Sharma

Director: Shashank Chaturvedi

Producer: Robin D’Cruz

Singer: Sikander Kha

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