We know what sexism looks like in the workplace and in politics, but what about across the globe? A new video titled “Poverty is sexist,” launched by anti-poverty campaign ONE, shows how poverty influences sexism and affects women and girls in some of the poorest areas of the world—all by telling them a simple “no.”
In the video, a new mother is told that her daughter isn’t a boy, an older woman is rejected by a bank right after handing over her applications, and a young girl is told to stop crying as her family hands her over to an older man as part of an arranged marriage.
“None of us are equal until all of us are equal,” the video posits.
Don’t Panic, the creative agency behind the video, wrote in a statement that the ad aims to stress the importance of including all women into the conversation on sexism, particularly women who are the most disenfranchised by poverty.
“None of what is shown in the film has been based off assumptions, but instead true events and news stories,” the statement reads. “Every scene has been crafted so that it reflects real issues faced by real women.”
The “Poverty is sexist” campaign also calls for people who want to help eradicate poverty to sign a letter online to be delivered to global leaders on March 8, International Women’s Day—which is also the day women worldwide plan to go on strike. According to the site, the letter has received more than 300,000 signatures.
“You don’t need to be a girl in Uganda to understand what it would mean to be held back from school because you have your period. You don’t need to be a woman in Congo to imagine what it would feel like to be denied a bank loan because you don’t have a husband,” the statement continued.
Watch the full clip below:
H/T the Independent