MAYOR OF LONDON LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN TO TACKLE MISOGYNY

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today launched a major new campaign to empower men and boys to say ‘Maaate’ to their mates in order to challenge sexism and misogyny in society.

Informed by a ground-breaking, in-depth behavioural science study[1], the innovative campaign by Ogilvy UK aims to help men and boys confidently step in when they witness misogyny.

The launch comes as new research commissioned by the Mayor [2] revealed shocking figures in relation to the prevalence of misogyny in society and a lack of awareness around how to tackle it. The research found that:

73% of young men in London agree misogyny and violence against women go hand in hand and needs to stop, but over half (54%) feel that misogynist behaviour is the norm within their culture
75% of young men in London had witnessed misogyny – 96% of whom had seen such behaviour among their family, friends and acquaintances – but only 24% of them would call it out every time
Of those who didn’t feel able to call out misogynistic behaviour in their friends, acquaintances or family members, 1 in 5 said they weren’t sure how to do so (21%) or didn’t know what to say to intervene (20%).

To help tackle this issue, the Mayor has released a new interactive film[3] that can be used as a tool to help determine when, where and how to call out inappropriate language.

The interactive short depicts a conversation between a group of twenty-something year old men and adopts the style of a ‘choose-your-own ending’ game. Its immersive design provides viewers with the opportunity to intervene – by clicking ‘Maaate’ when they think the language used about women and girls crosses the line.

Having watched the video:

76% of viewers felt more equipped to identify misogynistic behaviour and 58% felt regret over not calling it out before
66% said they now feel empowered to intercept misogynistic behaviour and 67% said they plan on calling out family or friends as a result
More than half (58%) said that they would use ‘Maaate’ as an intervention when they see misogynistic behaviour.

Backed by an in-depth behavioural science study, including linguistics insights and hours of rigorous research, the term ‘Maaate’ was chosen as a small and familiar word that can make a big difference and support men and boys in challenging the sexist behaviours and misogynistic attitudes that can lead to women feeling unsafe and being at risk of male violence.
The study explored the blockers that currently prevent men from speaking up against such behaviour and found that shaming people does not help challenge misogyny or sexism among peers. Instead, the most effective way to do it is from a place of respect for the friendship.

The campaign is part of the Mayor’s refreshed strategy to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG), encouraging all of society to play their part and putting the onus of responsibility on men and boys to change the way they perceive, treat and talk about women.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “My new campaign recognises that male violence against women and girls often starts with words. That’s why I’m determined to ensure that men and boys feel empowered to call out their mates when their behaviour crosses the line. ‘Maaate’ is a simple and effective intervention that can help stop problematic language and behaviour in its tracks.

“Last year I urged men and boys to challenge sexist behaviour and misogynistic attitudes with my award-winning ‘Have A Word’ campaign. Now, we’re giving them the word to say. It is only by ensuring that women and girls are both protected and respected that we can continue to build a better, safer London for everyone.”

Comedian and supporter of the ‘Maaate’ campaign, Romesh Ranganathan, said: “I’m backing this campaign because we can no longer allow sexism and misogyny to be dismissed as ‘banter.’ By asking men and boys to say ‘Maaate’ to a mate we can be better friends to each other and better allies to women and girls.

“As men, we have a responsibility to work together to stop sexist and misogynistic behaviour. Whether it’s in the classroom, the boardroom or onstage, everyone deserves to be treated with respect.”

Director of End Violence Against Women, Andrea Simon, said: “Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, Andrea Simon, said: “The End Violence Against Women Coalition has been calling for long term public campaigns to shift the sexist attitudes that drive violence against women and girls. To address this abuse we need to challenge and change the attitudes that trivialise abuse and blame victims, and instead create a more equal society in which we can hold each other accountable. Too often, campaigns are targeted at women and girls – wrongly placing the responsibility on us to ‘keep ourselves safe’. But ending men’s violence against women is everyone’s business. That’s why we welcome the Mayor’s focus on engaging men and boys in these conversations and providing practical support on how we can all play an active role in ending this abuse.”

Lindsay Turner, Director of Marketing & Communications at LADbible Group, said: “We are proud to bring this campaign to life across our portfolio and support the Mayor of London to amplify such an important message. With our huge reach, of over a billion people globally every single month, we believe it is vital to share content with our audience that helps drives positive cultural change. Romesh’s original comedy set, where he shared the fundamental message behind the campaign reached over 2.5 million via our LADbible Instagram and achieved huge levels of engagement. We look forward to creating more conversation in the next phase of the campaign.”

This latest call to action builds on the success of the Mayor’s multi-award winning #HaveAWord campaign which launched last year and called on men to “have a word” with themselves and then their mates. The campaign’s video has been viewed over 15 million times and polling has shown that 85 per cent of men who have viewed the video said they would call out misogynistic behaviour if they see it.