Statistics say that domestic violence affects 1 in 4 women in Germany, once or repeatedly in their lifetime.

Unfortunately, people pay little attention to statistics - they feel abstract and that's something that only happens to

others. Terre des Femmes - a Berlin-based women’s rights organization - wants to raise awareness for the

shocking numbers of domestic violence in Germany and encourage people to break the silence and seek help, in

case they’re experiencing abuse or know someone who is.

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, a photo booth customized with facial recognition software was installed

in Berlin’s busiest station. An algorithm detected when a woman was inside and applied bruises to one of the four

photos – clearly mirroring the numbers of domestic violence. Each photo strip conveyed a message: “1 in 4 women

in Germany are victims of domestic violence. Even if it’s not happening to you, it might be happening to someone

you know. Don’t ignore it, come forward. We can help. Together we can #ChangeThisPicture” - along with the

helpline number and Terre des Femmes website, where people could find information and counseling. The stunt

was documented and released as an online video on Facebook and YouTube, in both German and English, so it

could make a much broader audience aware of the shocking numbers of domestic violence in Germany and get

people to take action.

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, a photo booth customized with facial recognition was installed in

Berlin’s busiest station. An algorithm detected when a woman was inside and applied bruises to one of the four

photos. Each photo strip had a message: “1 in 4 women in Germany are victims of domestic violence. Even if it’s

not happening to you, it might be happening to someone you know. Don’t ignore it, come forward. We can help.

Together we can #ChangeThisPicture”, along with the helpline number and Terre des Femmes' website, where

people could find information and counseling. Terre des Femmes posted the video of the stunt on Facebook and

Youtube, in German and English, on April 5th. Despite being meant for Germany, in two weeks these videos

reached a global audience via international media, celebrities, and other women’s rights associations who shared

them with millions of followers.