Goodbye My Love

Domestic violence is an extensive problem in Cambodia:

• 8% of the population don’t know that domestic violence is against the law.

• A third of Cambodian men admit to having physically abused a woman at least once

• 67% of the population believe women should remain silent about abuse for the sake of the family.

• Less than a quarter of domestic violence survivors ever seek help.

Our Communications Strategy addressed the above through the production and release of a video called ‘Goodbye My Love’, and an interlinked social media campaign. The video featured our own rendition of a classic Cambodian song of the same name and highlighted different types of domestic abuse. The song is catchy and is an ode to women experiencing abuse. This as a unique way to continue the message in a different, long-lasting medium.

The goals of the campaign were -

• Enhancing local-level community engagement of vulnerable, at-risk families

• Improving the understanding of respectful, healthy relationships

• Strengthening understanding of the laws on domestic violence at a national level

• Changing cultural attitudes on gender-based violence

• Furthering education and discourse on the different types of abuse that can occur

The video itself is aspirational. Communities shun abusers and not their victims, which is not how things are in Cambodia. There was also extensive social media activity, with 32 diverse social media postings over 18 days. It included guidance for victims and/or those aware of ongoing abuse, stories from survivors, manuals on how to initiate divorce (a cultural challenge in Cambodia), animations illustrating what healthy relationships should look like, and more.

The video received over 1.5 million views, exceeding our target of 1.25 million. The social media campaign, which included 32 posts over the 16-day period, reached over 4 million people - nearly a quarter of the Cambodian population. Additionally, 14,000 people clicked our dedicated domestic violence website for additional linked resources. Crucially, the campaign received extensive engagement, with over 1 million reactions. Overall, the campaign received national coverage and started vital conversations.