Dear Daddy
Norwegian campaigning organisation, Care, has created a video (featured below, at the end of the article) which is guaranteed to make all daughters, mothers, fathers and parents-to-be cry. The emotive video is part of their new campaign, Dear Daddy, which aims to highlight how fathers can protect their daughters.
The father-daughter bond is a special one, and most fathers would do absolutely anything to protect their daughters.
Different fathers may have different ideas about what it means to protect a child. Does it mean physically protecting them from harm or raising them with the skills necessary to avoid danger themselves? Does it mean grilling perspective prom dates at the front door, teaching her some self-defense moves or reminding her to put on her helmet before she skates off down the street?
Ensuring The Next Generation Of Girls Grow Up In A Safe World
According to statistics from the World Health Organisation, one in three women will experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime, usually from a male partner. According to Care, in Norway that figure stands at one in five. The organisation wanted to do something to change this, something to make sure that the next generation of girls grows up in a safe world.
And so, they decided to reach out to the fathers of the next generation. The resulting video is truly impossible to watch without crying and raises some very important issues surrounding the treatment of women and girls in society. The video highlights the fact that not only do fathers need to be excellent role models to their daughters, but also to other men and boys within the community.
The video appeals to men to start speaking up against derogatory language used against women. Sure, these comments are often ‘jokes’, but is it funny when they begin to shape the worldview of our children? Should little boys be exposed to sexist and demeaning comments about girls, or could this shape the way those boys view women when they’re older? Will those boys call your daughter names when she’s at school? Will your daughter dismiss these comments as jokes, even when she hears them every day from the boys she meets in and out of school?
Speaking Out Against Violence Towards Women
This campaign is acting men to speak out against violence towards women. It’s asking men not to be afraid to speak up in front of friends, colleagues and their sons. It’s about challenging the way women and girls are seen by society, and not being afraid to speak up for your daughters. It’s about encouraging a father to take that important step to protect their daughter by making the world a safer place for her to grow up in.
Writing on their website, Care says, “One in five women in Norway have been subjected to violence by a partner who she trusts. Women and girls of all walks of life, of all ages and in all countries are at risk. Any woman who is exposed to violence, is someone’s daughter.”
For One In Three Women, This Is The Reality
The video has been viewed almost four million times since it was uploaded earlier this month. The emotive film is narrated by a daughter who is reading aloud a letter to her father. The video details different scenarios that many girls find themselves in as they grow up. Name-calling, sexual assault, domestic violence. These aren’t issues that many fathers want to imagine being in their daughters’ futures, but for one in three women across the world, this is the reality.
The video closes with some daughter to father advice, “Dear Daddy, this is the favour I want to ask. One thing always leads to another, so please stop it before it gets the chance to begin. Don’t let my brothers call girls whores [or sluts, bitches or other similar things], because they’re not, and one some little boy might think it’s true. Don’t accept insulting jokes from weird guys by the pool or even friend, because behind every joke there is always some truth. Dear Daddy, I know you will protect me from lion, tigers, guns, cars and even sushi without even thinking about the danger to your own life. Dear Daddy, I will be born a girl, please do everything you can so that that won’t stay the greatest danger of all.”
Sometimes it seems easier to let things slide, to ignore the unkind words of others and keep your nose out of it. This video highlights why doing that can lead to problems down the line, and why fathers should stand together and stand up against sexism for the sake of their daughters. After all, who do little girls look up if not their daddies?
Recommended Reading: If you’re a new dad and want to join some great communities of other dads and dads-to-be, check out our article, 8 Best Facebook Pages For Dads and Dads-To-Be.
