Abuse awareness campaign asks ‘What is Love?’

The Centre Against Abuse has launched a campaign for Domestic Abuse Awareness month.

‘What is Love’ will be featured all month long with posters on display in the hospital, stores, salons, barbershops and many more places across the island.

Laurie Shiell, director of the Centre Against Abuse explained the campaign objectives.

“The purpose of this campaign is to have young women - but relates to women at any age- think about the relationship they are in, friendship or romantic, and see if it is truly based on love, real love.

“We want women to love themselves and raise their standards on how they are being treated.”

She continued: “The campaign will include two sets of posters, ones that have already started to put up in the hospital, stores, salons and barber shops and some specially printed posters with a very eye catching effect.

“These posters ask the question what is love and show two opposing examples, one negative and one positive.

“Once again we simply want you to think about what is love and are you in a loving relationship.”

Ms Shiell said another aspect of the campaign will be radio and TV interviews to discuss chivalry.

“The art of chivalry and being a gentleman is something that seems to be less demanded of men.

“Men should know how to treat a lady and a lady should know and understand how they should be treated.

“If you know how you should be treated as a lady it makes it less likely you’ll be in or stay in an abusive relationship and if we as women all raise our standards on how we should betreated then this will help make men step up their own standards personally and how they treat us.”

There will also be a social media push as apart of the campaign.

“We are asking any and everyone to post or tweet their favourite image or quote defining love by using #WhatIsLove.

“This would be a way to collect people’s definitions of love, having other people see definitions of love which might spark something in themselves and they realize their not in a loving relationship and just a way to people to comment and discuss respectively on some of the post/tweets being made.”

Ms Shiell thanked the sponsors of the campaign including  Dion Smith of Smith Technologies and Rev. Minors of Miracle Temple, New Testament First Church of God.

Learn more about the Centre Against Abuse at centreagainstabuse.bm.

Follow them on twitter @CAA_bermuda and on Facebook.