About Me
HELLO, I'M MAE. A FASHION BUSINESS & PROMOTION GRADUATE FROM BCU.
Mae was personally motivated to present a solution to the issue of Domestic Violence and Harassment of women in her home country, Kuwait. The purpose was to provide an accessible, user- friendly approach to finding essential services and resources for women in abusive or life-threatening situations in Kuwait.
The message is to Protect ME to Protect ALL. Protect ME (Middle East), a Civil Society Organisation providing a platform of crucial resources to women experiencing Domestic Violence and Harassment in Kuwait. It serves as a library of life-saving information and resources such as contacts of related organisations, emergency services and medical services. It offers a user-friendly, easily accessible way of contacting organisations receiving protection and refuge from an uncomfortable, unwanted or abusive situation. Protect ME operates website platform alongside educational Instagram accounts.
INSPIRATION
1 in 3 women suffer physical and sexual abuse from intimate partners worldwide.
The main inspiration was the Major Project - Dissertation titled, "The Digital Saviour", which answered the question, "How has social media facilitated a network of support for women suffering domestic violence in Kuwait?". This research discovered that cultural factors; taboo and protecting family's honour and reputation, took precedence over the safety and security of women.
CSO’s and NGO’s were openly communicating with victims of Domestic Violence and Harassment as social media applications such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, enabled a discrete and safe means of reporting their abuse and receiving help especially during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait. Due to the lack of services such as shelters and provision of women's rights in Kuwait, it was necessary to establish an alternative digital approach to offering support, essential resources and cultivating a safe-space.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Protect ME Website - Landing Page
Protect ME Website - About Us Page
Protect ME Website - Support (Resources) Page
Protect ME Website - Education Page
Protect ME Website - Phone Mock-up
Protect ME Instagram Feed - @protectme.kw
Protect ME Instagram Post - @protectme.kw
Protect ME Instagram Story - @protectme.kw
Catcalls of Kuwait Instagram - @catcallsofkuwait
Catcalls of Kuwait Instagram - @catcallsofkuwait
Catcalls of Kuwait Instagram - @catcallsofkuwait
"What were you wearing?" Pop-up Event Poster
"What were you wearing?" Pop-up Event - Mock - up
"What were you wearing?" Pop-up Event - Mock - up
"What were you wearing?" Pop-up Event - Mock - up
DETAIL
Protect ME, a platform for women experiencing Domestic Violence and Harassment in Kuwait.
The dedicated website functions include an “Exit Safely” button when clicked the user would be redirected to another inconspicuous website such as BBC News as to not bring attention to themselves. Another feature is a “24/7 Virtual Support Chat” offering around the clock support to women by allowing them to connect to advocates (volunteers) with the option of video calling if necessary. The “Help Me” button provides immediate relief by allowing survivors to call emergency services or woman organisations instantly. These resources include the contacts of NGOs at the forefront of tackling these issues, vital information educating women about their civil rights, access to lawyers in case of legal difficulties impeding on their safety as well as "Technological Self-Defence" tutorials on how to utilise social media and technology to their aid. Instagram(@protectme.kw), educational account (@catcallsofkuwait), as women have resorted to contacting organisations through social media to receive support.
"The issue is deeper than just aggression. The Middle East is still very much a deeply rooted patriarchy, and divisions between men and women exist to an extreme." - Questionnaire Participant
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