By Renuka Dhakal
Kathmandu, July 30: Women around the world have been posting their black –and –white photographs in social networking app ‘Instagram’ for a few days to support women empowerment and express solidarity with the hashtag ‘Challenge Accepted’.
This campaign has also begun in Nepal.
A few Nepali women celebrities have come up to support this campaign on Instagram with their black – and – white photos and nominate at least two other women to encourage women empowerment and voice against violence against women.
From actress Nisha Adhikari Malla to model Niti Shah and actresses Priyanka Karki and Samragyee RL Shah have also taken part in this new social media trend.
How and where this trend has begun is not clear but according to the New York Times, this new trend may have sparked by US Representative Alexandra Ocasio – Cortez, after she spoke out against sexist comments made against her by US Representatives Ted Yoho. Yoho called her a “f…ing bitch”.
Many people associated this challenge admit that the concept began from Turkey.
According to various news reports, it was started by Turkish philanthropist Zeycan Rochelle to raise awareness about injustice and brutality meted out against women in Turkey. It called femicide after the murder of Turkey’s student Pinar Gultekin by her ex-boyfriend.
The 27-year-old student was beaten and strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend, who then tried to burn her body in a forest. But when he could not do that, he kept her body in a bin and filled it with concrete, according to news reports.
Some people said that it was not a new campaign; similar campaign was started back in 2016 to raise awareness about cancer with same slogan “Challenge Accepted”.
Nepali model Niti Shah in support of this campaign posted on her Instagram, #challenge accepted and wrote, “This movement originally started for Turkish women to be heard in their fight against femicide in Turkey and I expressed my solidarity with all the lost and suffering women. I nominate every woman to participate in this campaign #woman supporting women, # women empowerment.
Whatever the reasons behind this worldwide campaign, many including Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities have been supporting this campaign. And through this social media campaign, women worldwide are supporting women for their empowerment and ‘no’ to women violence.
So far, about six million people have posted their black-and-white photos on Instagram in favour of this campaign and it continues to grow in the internet.