Bell Bajao: Using Mass Media to Stop Domestic Violence

Breakthrough's multimedia campaign "Bell Bajao" (Ring the Bell), urges men to take a stand against domestic violence. The extraordinary campaign, launched on August 20, 2008, has reached over 35 million people throughout India through TV and radio spots, print ads, mobile video vans, and an online presence.

Breakthrough began the Bell Bajao campaign by first identifying who they wanted to reach. In Bell Bajao’s case it was men and boys. Campaign organizers narrowed down their strategy: Men should stop being violent, and other men should challenge them to stop the violence. Breakthrough understood its target audience. In developing its TV and radio spots, and its general messaging, Breakthrough studied men’s current behavior and what the desired behavior should be.

Sonali Khan, Breakthrough's Director of Communication, explains, "Ultimately we want the women to benefit, but our aim was to reach the men and boys to change their attitude and behavior. Our research showed that in most cases, when faced with violence, women negotiate within the private space because of the stigma associated with going public. Our research showed that when faced with a violent situation, most people did not intervene. Only about 10-12% actually did anything, of which 57% were men. This is what made us decide to go with an action-oriented message. Instead of thinking about the issue or pondering over the solution, we are asking our viewers, the men particularly, to break the silence and do something about it."

Ogilvy & Mather, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, was convinced. It provided creative services to the campaign free of cost. In collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development in India, the innovative, high impact Bell Bajao campaign is broadcast on national television and carried in national newspapers. Items from the campaign are translated into many languages for broadcasting through regional media.

The Bell Bajao campaign also uses video vans to get the message out to audiences who may not be watching television. Three vans traveled 80,000 kilometers to reach 2.7 million people, and a street theater group traveled with the van, performing and distributing posters. The campaign also has an online microsite that is intended draw in young men. It has an active blog where people post stories in their own languages. There are blog posts almost every day, some from those who are affected and many from those who actually take action.

"Mass media usage is exploding and people are listening and watching in increasing numbers,” says Khan. “We need to occupy that space to make our voices and opinions heard. Women's organizations are not effectively engaging with media and technology, which is something we really need to change."

Change is something that Breakthrough knows a lot about.

View the Bell Bajao ads on YouTube

Visit Breakthrough and Bell Bajao Campaign Site

Breakthrough uses education, media and popular culture to transform attitudes and advance equality, justice and dignity. The organization works in India and the United States on several issues including women’s rights, sexuality and HIV/AIDS, racial justice and immigrant rights.