UN Women / United Nations: The Shadow Pandemic

UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, launched the Shadow Pandemic public awareness campaign, focusing on the global increase in domestic violence amid the Covid-19 health crisis. The Shadow Pandemic public service announcement is a sixty-second film narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Kate Winslet, who has championed many humanitarian causes.
Agency: MRM//McCANN

Developed with Interpublic Group agencies and Getty Images, both members the Unstereotype Alliance convened by UN Women, the film highlights the alarming upsurge in domestic violence during Covid-19, and delivers a vital message urging people to act to support women if they know or suspect someone is experiencing violence. The Shadow Pandemic film features footage from homes all over the world, shot by creative professionals in 14 countries, and global image library Getty Images. Created by MRM and produced by Craft, the film begins with seemingly innocuous and familiar domestic scenes in different homes around the world. When coupled with an evocative music track and voiceover it soon reveals a starkly different picture. It concludes with three clear calls to action for individuals to help address the pandemic of violence against women. In addition to the PSA, the campaign includes social media assets giving key advice from shelters, helplines, domestic violence organisations and police departments across a variety of the UN’s Member States.