Domestic violence clearly has a strong impact on the mind of its victim, and this is very well shown by an ad titled “Hair, the pride of a woman,” which has gone viral in Bangladesh.
The ad, made for Jui, a domestic helpline service, was first published on March 6 on International Women’s Day. However, it gained massive attention this month after it was actively shared on social media.
You can watch the full video here:
The video shows a woman asking her hairdresser to cut her hair short. The hairdresser reluctantly proceeds, saying that it would be a shame to cut a beautiful hair such as hers. However, the woman keeps on insisting that her hair needs to be even shorter. When the hair is reduced to a bob cut, the hairdresser assumes her job is done, to which the woman breaks down, grabs her own hair, pulls it, and says:
“Make it even shorter,” she says. “So that no-one can hold it like this again.”
The ad has gathered more than 6.5 Million views on Facebook.
In Bangladesh, 65% of married women suffer physical violence from their husbands, according to a 2011 government survey. The Guardian has presented insights into the life of domestic violence victims in Bangladesh in this gallery.
