A white dress does not cover the rape - #Undress522

The symbol we chose as the central point of our campaign was the white dress made of gauze.

White is a representation of purity and virtue - a woman who is forced to marry her rapist under Article 522 wears a wedding dress like any other woman, but her white is impure. It is made of gauze to magnify its impurity. By dressing her in a white dress, there is an attempt to wash away the crime. We are proclaiming that what happens after the rape is still a rape, even if is covered in a white dress, and our rallying call is to Undress 522.

We launched the campaign with a bride in her 522 Dress, asking people to Undress 522 on national OOH networks. We then released a film online and on TV, creating a passionate discussion.

Our campaign pushed the Parliamentary Committee to meet and discuss Article 522 the following month. Capitalizing on this occasion, we were outside Parliament with a protest led by 13 rape victims, wearing Dress 522, creating an iconic image shared worldwide.

Sensing the emotional response, we created an outlet for people’s demands with an online/offline petition.

Our pressure pushed the Committee to draft an amendment of the law.

We continued this pressure with an artistic installation by a famous Lebanese artist displaying 31 hanged dresses. The Lebanese Minister for women’s affairs attends and literally unthreads Dress 522.

Our efforts see the light of day as the Committee unanimously votes to abolish Article 522 and forces Parliament to ratify the change.

JUDICIARY

- Parliamentary committee voted for Article 522’s abolition from Lebanese Penal Code.

- Law amendments require a social worker to perform 6-months checks on marriages involving minors.

SOCIAL IMPACT & REGIONAL SPILLOVER

- Prominent politicians tweeted their support.

- Media anchor Pierette Katrib calls to Undress 522 on Dancing with the Stars.

- A Tripoli band released a song in protest of 522, sampling the TVC soundtrack.

- Singer Mike Massy collaborated with Abaad to create a song in tribute to the victims of article 522.

- Tunisia, where a similar law exists, adopted our campaign and hashtag. 3 days later, the law was abolished.

VIEWS & ENGAGEMENT

- 7.5 Million+ views

- 52K+ shares

- 21K+ signatures

- 230+ publications and TV channels in 100+ countries

- $9.5 Million earned media value (Online earned media calculated based on $2.8 CPM)

- 2.8 Billion media impressions (Based on visits/publication/week)