In Vietnam and across Asia, there has been an exponential growth in female human trafficking as a direct result of the gender imbalances caused by gendercide. Women and children, being bought for quick cash from impoverished families, or simply kidnapped off the streets. Taken as sex slaves, forced into becoming brides and servants… some as young as infants. Yet the victims’ families almost always keep quiet; afraid of retribution from gangs and corrupt officials.

On an extremely limited budget, how could we break the silence and get the public – and government – talking about this hidden problem?

We brought gendercide out in the open – on a huge scale.

We created a series of brutally honest long-copy posters that were impossible to miss. Each of the 8 executions highlighted different aspects of the Asian sex-selective abortion epidemic and its devastating consequences. Bright, loud and specially designed in huge panels to get around tough public sizing regulations, they broke the silence – and encouraged victims to break theirs.

Running in Vietnamese, Chinese and English, the posters went up in the same locations where thousands of girls have gone missing: Underground clinics, red light districts and known kidnapping hotspots across the country. A confidential 0800 number gave victims and families a safe way to reach out, share their stories, get information, and hopefully, have the chance to be reunited with their missing loved ones.

In this digital age, our low-tech, low-budget, strategically placed posters were the key to getting the public talking and the government responding.

In just 2 months, we independently gathered over 900 confidential leads using information from the 0800 number. From these, and by working together with police, 16 girls and young women have since been reunited with their families. Over 100 have been rescued from slavery in brothels, and 56 people have been arrested. The Vietnamese government has also publically announced the strengthening of legislation pertaining to sex selective abortion and the illegal trade of women.

While all this is a drop in the bucket compared to the ongoing problems throughout Asia, gendercide is no longer hidden. And this is not the end. Our campaign is set to continue throughout Vietnam, and will soon also expand into China.

“Together we can make Gendercide famous”

Evan Grae Davis, Film maker & Human Rights Activist