Pakistani Women Are Asking Men To Beat Them, And Here’s Why

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In one of the most powerful videos you will ever see, Pakistani women are asking men to beat them… at things they are good at. This #BeatMe video by UN Women Pakistan is part of an anti-violence campaign to end domestic and sexual abuse against women.

Although we may believe that the world is progressing, we still have a quite a way to go. According to a UN report, 1 in every 3 women/girls is a victim of gender or sexual violence.

UN Women Pakistan’s new ‘#BeatMe’ campaign “brings an unconventional twist to the advocacy on women’s rights.” It aims to inspire women and reaffirm the idea that they are stronger than society leads them to believe.

It aims to shatter the notion that a woman is weak, and moves to transform her from being “beatable” to being powerful and “unbeatable.”

The video features incredibly talented and iconic women and brings light to the amazing things women have accomplished on a global scale. It emphasizes the stories of women who have achieved great success and overcome all odds in the midst of a patriarchal world.

“The ‘#BeatMe’ campaign juxtaposes every means of abuse against a strength of each woman. Verbal abuse is addressed by challenging men to beat women with their voice and words from the likes of Meesha Shafi (singer) and Sana Bucha (journalist). Physical abuse is challenged by women mountaineers and athletes such as Samina Baig (only Pakistani woman and third Pakistani to climb Mount Everest) and Naseem Hameed (fastest woman in the South Asia games) who invites men to beat her 100-meter race time. The message focuses on the strength of women no matter where they are from and debunks the erroneous notion of women being inferior to men,” says the official release.

Jamshed Kazi, Country Representative for UN Women Pakistan says:

“The #BeatMe campaign poignantly drives home a universal message that verbal and physical violence against women in Pakistan and beyond is unacceptable – this is not normal, and it cannot continue. If men treat women as badly as they choose to – beating, burning, abusing or killing her – with little or no consequence, it negates all efforts to build a safe world in which women and girls can flourish. In every country, we have very resilient, resourceful, talented and brave women and girls. This campaign celebrates their strengths and achievements as being ‘unbeatable’, and acknowledges women’s equality as a driving force for successful societies and nations.”

The campaign coincides with 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, a global initiative led by UN Women on behalf of the UN Secretary-General’s global campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women, from 25 November (International Day to End Violence against Women) until 10 December (International Human Rights Day).

Although short and simple, the video is incredibly moving and is something that everyone should see. It sends a strong message and serves as a reminder to women (and men) that women are strong, courageous and brave.

It ends with a powerful message to women all around the world: “I am unbeatable.”