The Polished Man 2020 Movement
The 'Polished man' campaign of 2020 centres around the topic of Child Abuse. One billion children experienced violence in the last year alone. That's half the world's children. Ygap's founder, Elliot Costello, came up with the idea of polished man after a personal experience of his own on a visit to Hagar International in Cambodia. The idea behind the campaign is to spark conversation about child abuse, violence against children and how this is unacceptable.
To participate in the 'polished campaign' a person has to paint one nail blue this year, the nail polish is meant to inspire conversation which will not only lead to awareness but to donations as well.
Celebrities and people alike all over the world are participating in this campaign, which is talking about child abuse and ending violence towards children. In Pakistan alone, celebrities such as Humayun Saeed, Wasim Akram, Shaniera Akram, Shehzad Roy, Amir Khan, Babar Azam, George Fulton, Bilal Ashraf and Mikaal Zulfiqar, to name a few, are speaking up about the topic.
Every child deserves the right to feel safe and protected. But here we are in 2020 where more than 10 children a day in Pakistan are subjected to abuse and violence (and that’s only what is being reported). Too many lives are being taken at the hand of an adult and This needs to end. We need to break this subject wide open, hear our children’s cries and vow to protect the children of this country from further abuse. This October, men all over the country are coming together to say NO MORE to child violence and end the suffering. Join me and become a Polished Man.
The Mere Pass Tum Ho star has clearly stated his stance on the campaign and is advocating for an end to child abuse, by encouraging others to follow and be a part of a significant conversation which needs to take place in Pakistan.
Fashion designers, cricketers, models, actors, hosts and bloggers alike are taking the Polished Man campaign seriously, with Deepak Perwani, Shoaib Malik, Aisam Ul Haque, Moammar Rana, Adnan Malik, Adnan Siddiqui and Shafaat Ali publicly declaring their status as 'Polished Men' who are making a difference in the way they can. Social media being an extremely effective platform has further proven the strength of such powerful movements which set out to shed light on topics that people may not have adept knowledge of, not only locally, but on a global scale.
Following the campaign this October, many male celebrities did the country proud by standing up for issues plaguing the world such as child abuse, which needs to be discussed and brought out in the open. If we do not start the conversation how do we hope to bring a change? Celebrities use their influence both internationally and locally to do their part.
Talking about child abuse is better than not talking about it, taking the first step leads to more conversation.