BOXERS AGAINST VIOLENCE

Gender-based violence is a major problem in Namibia, with statistics suggesting that up to one third of Namibian men believe that wife beating is justifiable. It is estimated that one out of five women are in an abusive relationship. The two most common forms of GBV in Namibia are domestic violence and rape, both of which disproportionately affect Namibian women more than men (over 90%). Furthermore, according to a study done by the Namibia Police's GBV Division, about 50,000 cases of GBV were reported in the Khomas Region (period of 2013-2016).

We partnered with the LifeLine/ChildLine NGO and Namibia's boxing community to promote a fake, live boxing matchup between a man and a woman. We hired two actors and placed their images on official posters for an upcoming boxing tournament. On fight night, the actors were brought into the ring, whereupon the Announcer interrupted proceedings, reading a statement denouncing gender-based violence and directing people to the LifeLine/ChildLine Namibia helpline.

After the event, the story was picked up by the national papers and made headline news on the national broadcaster NBC1.