Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Group Innovatively Uses Mockups of Famous Magazines To Highlight Abused, Exploited Girls

One of the fake magazine covers from Catapult.  
Imagine if Good Housekeeping magazine suddenly became "Good Slavekeeping," with cover teasers like "35 Days to Train the Perfect Slave - How to Whip Her Into Shape, Fast!"

Or what if Seventeen magazine became "Thirteen" a magazine for young girls forced into prostitution, with headlines like "Hide those Bruises With 35 Easy Makeup Tricks"

How about, instead of Bride magazine, we get "Child Bride" for children forced into marriage against their will. "Dazzling Bridal Gowns! Now For Ages 7-12`!"

The above examples are beyond sickening, but that's the point. As part of an International Womens Day effort to expose, fight and stop exploitation and abuse of young girls all over the globe.

Catapult, a crowdfunding group advocating for equal and human rights for girls and women worldwide, has put out the provocative magazine covers.

According to Mashable, Maz Kessler, Catapult's founder and creative director say she was glad people and marking International Womens Day by highlighting inspiring women and important causes, but she wanted to get people fired up to improve the situation for the world's women.
Another Cataputl fake (thankfully!)
magazine cover  

"Thankfully these are fake magazines. Unfortunately, these are real problems," Kessler told Mashable.

She said 14 million girls, some as young as eight years old, will be married against their will in 2014. About 1.2 million children, most of them girls, will be trafficked into slavery. And in New York, girls as young as 13 are exploited for sexual exploitation, according to Catapult.

So yes, the fake magazine covers hit new lows in tastelessness and shock value. But sometimes it's worth it, if it inspires somebody, anybody to make the world a better place for exploited and abused girls and women.

Because strong women make a strong world. Which is what we really need right now.

No comments:

Post a Comment