Every hour in Brazil, a person with a disability suffers violence. According to authorities, the number of aggressions is much higher because the lack of accessibility which makes reporting more difficult. Especially for hearing-impaired and deaf women.

The gender inequality creates an unbalanced situation for all women. But when it comes to hearing-impaired and deaf women, it's an even worse scenario. The reason why is because hearing impairment and deafness is not just about the condition of not hearing. It's also about not being heard in a world that is not ready to communicate with you: on the streets, at work, in modes of transportation, everywhere.

Our idea encourages women to have their voice back: by reporting cases of aggression and breaking the cycle of violence through an exclusive channel created for them in Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS).

A survey conducted by UN Women shows that, even today, 95% of women and 81% of men interviewed agree with the affirmation that machismo is still dominant in Brazil.

Even though the Brazilian government had already recognized, during the 1940’s, that domestic violence was a problem, it only began to take action in 1985, with the creation of the first unit of the Delegacia da Mulher (Women’s Precinct) in the state of São Paulo and later, with the publication of the Federal Law for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Against Women in 2006, known as the “Lei Maria da Penha” (a name given in homage to a victim who became a paraplegic after an assault.)

Before the "Voice of Silence" project, there wasn't any public initiative to help hearing-impaired and deaf women, who suffer violence and have communication problems to report it. With our idea we could support victims through an exclusive channel in Brazillian Sign Language (LIBRAS).

Fala Mulher Association is a non-profit organization that works to combat domestic violence against women, build gender equity, promote female financial independence and women's rights.

This work has everything to do with gender representation because every hour in Brazil a person with a disability suffers violence. Especially hearing-impaired and deaf women, the main target of our idea.

The creative briefing was hearing impairment and deafness is not just about the condition of not hearing. It's also about not being heard in a world that is not ready to communicate with you.

Our objective was to help many hearing-impaired and deaf women that are unable to communicate. To promote an exclusive reporting channel in sign language (LIBRAS) for these victims, we hacked the only space in Brazil on mass media where it's possible to communicate directly with them: the TV age rating warning.

The “Voice of Silence” project stands for a major challenge in the country: solving the difficulty that many victims find when they go to a police station but are not fully comprehended in their reports of violence.

Because many hearing-impaired and deaf women are unable to communicate and the incident is recorded as a report of an incapable person. The reality is: hearing-impaired and deaf women are not incapable, in fact, it is the world that is not prepared to understand them.

Especially on mass communications channels, such as television. Meaning they are not fully prepared to give any kind of support for the victims. The only place where they can see themselves supported is the age rating warning, which communicates directly with them.

Our biggest challenge was figuring out how to turn a format that wasn't considered advertising into advertising. For the first time, we hacked a space required by law to take the victims to an exclusive reporting channel. During the process, it was necessary to understand whether this would harm the broadcast programming or not, because this involved 10 more seconds of advertising linked to an obligatory space where it wasn’t allowed to advertise.

Every hour in Brazil a person with a disability reports a case of domestic violence. According to the Brazilian Public Security Forum, the number of aggressions is considerably higher. Especially for hearing impaired and deaf women.

That means one thing: violence against women is a national problem, but the victims have specific needs. That's why we needed a media format that had national coverage and - at the same time - was capable of speaking to a specific audience.

For this, we picked the only space on TV where it is possible to communicate directly with hearing-impaired and deaf women: the age rating warning. In our country, all television shows are required by law to show an opening with a Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) Interpreter warning about inappropriate content on the show. In this direct marketing idea, we took the hearing-impaired and deaf victims to an exclusive reporting channel.

In Brazil, television is the only communication channel with 88% coverage and almost 100% penetration. As a result, virtually the entire population is impacted by the broadcasters’ programming, including hearing-impaired and deaf women who suffer domestic violence.

Violence against women is a national problem, but the victims have specific needs. That's why we needed a media format that had national coverage and was capable of speaking to a specific audience. For this, we picked the only space on TV where it is possible to communicate directly with hearing-impaired and deaf women: the age rating warning.

In our country, all television shows are required by law to show an opening with a Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) Interpreter warning about inappropriate content on the show. In this direct marketing idea that happens on television, we took the hearing-impaired and deaf victims of domestic to an exclusive reporting channel.

In Brazil, NGOs don’t have enough financial resources so the communication budget isn't a priority. The challenge was to create an idea with low investment and high reverberation potential.

With only US$1,600 spent with the Sign Language interpreter, we used the recording structure of the channel's mandatory age rated warning to record our hidden messages to help victims report domestic violence.

The Voice of Silence is not an outreach idea, it’s more of a direct marketing idea that happens on television. In this case, we had SBT, one of the biggest broadcasters in Brazil, by our side.

From 9/24/2023 until now, we are on air in 14 programs a day, 7 days a week, the action only impacts a specific audience: hearing-impaired and deaf women. Currently, the project is part of SBT's fixed programming schedule, however, we have made the age rating warning format available for other broadcasters to use.

Voice of Silence project had an amazing repercussion all over Brazil. Check below a few numbers:

After the campaign, the number of violence reports increased by 4 times.

More than 3.300 media inserts in mass communication channels with zero investment.

More than 112 million dollar’s worth of "hacked" earned media.

Besides all of that, the campaign featured the most important mass media channels in Brazil. For example: “An innovative campaign that reduced the difficulty in reporting violence for deaf women.” Mônica Bergamo – Folha de S.Paulo.

The campaign is on air every day, 24/7, and is already part of the broadcaster's definitive schedule, which has also made all the campaign materials available so that the initiative could be implemented by other TV channels.

About the Voice of Silence project, right now we're working on an idea in partnership with Tik Tok.

Besides, we are always looking for new ways to continue the campaign.