The #NoExcuse Movement urges South Africans to take action against GBV by recording 16 seconds of silence over 16 Days of Activism
Having developed a five-year vision to drive behavioural change among men in society at large, a year ago the #NOEXCUSE movement was launched by Carling Black Label in the lead up to International Men’s Day. The movement was founded to challenge South African men to stand against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) by driving awareness and provoking action, to address this scourge on our society. Following a year of highly impactful activity across multiple media and on-the-ground platforms, #NOEXCUSE will be issuing an ambitious challenge to men over the course of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children – from 25 November to 10 December 2018.
“Gender Based Violence is a problem caused by men, and it is up to men to take action and put an end to these atrocities in our society. As a leading beer brand amongst South Africans, and a brand that seeks to rally a new order of champions, we want to challenge the men of our nation to take a symbolic stand.”, said Grant Pereira – Brand Director: Carling Black Label.
16 Seconds of Silence: The challenge being issued is for men to show their commitment to ending gender-based violence in South Africa by recording themselves in a silent 16-second video and uploading it to social media.
Pereira expounded; “Using the power and reach of the Carling Black Label brand, we’re taking further action by releasing 5 million special edition#NOEXCUSE cans over 16 Days of Activism, to drive the message that real men take action against GBV, and that there is never any excuse for women abuse”.
Andrea Quaye, Vice President Marketing: SAB and AB InBev Africa, further unpacked the brand’s objectives: “At its core, #NOEXCUSE is a movement for
change, and we are very proud to be joined by organisations dedicated to making the country a better and safer place for all. With special mention to our launch partners, Takuwani Riime, our helpline through Lifeline, our community change partners, Father-A-Nation, and our new online partner www.forgood.co.za, where the public at large can get involved in initiatives to end GBV and help victims”.
“Our decision to launch the #NOEXCUSE movement was driven by Carling Black Label’s status as a lighthouse of modern masculinity, and as the largest beer brand in the country, we strongly believe in the responsible consumption of alcohol, and that the abuse of alcohol is no excuse for women abuse”. Quaye added.
As part of the #NOEXCUSE campaign, ‘16 Seconds of Silence’ follows on from major strides that have been made this year with initiatives such as ‘Soccer Songs for Change’, an activation held at the National Soccer City Stadium in March 2018 wherein the lyrics of the soccer anthem ‘Mas’hambe Nono’ were changed to deliver a passionate plea by women against GBV. The brand followed with the ground-breaking radio drama, Isizathu, which showed the plight of a woman suffering GBV at the hands of her husband; and the launch of the ‘Champions for Change’ programme, where men are provided with tools and training to address GBV at a grassroots level in their respective communities.
The movement has reported that in-house research has begun showing some ‘green shoots’ of progress in changing attitudes and behaviour, particularly amongst men, towards GBV.
“It is our belief, and our sincere hope that our #NOEXCUSE campaign is supporting the eradication of Gender Base Violence from our society, so our sons and daughters can grow up in a better world”, Quaye concluded.
