Choices for Girls - interactive bus shelter ad

Plan UK's campaign, which highlights the plight of the world's poorest girls, launches a groundbreaking interactive ad on a bus stop in Oxford Street on February 22.

The advert uses facial recognition software with an HD camera to determine whether a man or woman is standing in front of the screen, and shows different content accordingly.

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  Nonprofits & Activism

[planuk]

It wasn't our aim to offend - we apologize that the advert did. We are simply showing what it feels like to have basic choices taken away - like millions of girls around the world. We don't favour girls over boys - for over 70 years we've worked with both sexes in the developing world and our experience - and the facts - show us that millions are still disadvantaged due to their gender. Our aim is equal opportunities and access to education for both sexes in the developing world

[TheAryoBarzan87]

The problem is that you're acting as if women are the only ones whose 'basic choices get taken away'. Maybe if you stopped pretending like girls are the only ones in third world countries that have 'opportunities taken away', you'd realize how stupid and gender-centric this advertisement truly is. Boys in these nations often endure significantly horrific oppression and cruelty that can significantly trump that of girls. The fact that you're focusing on girls-only shows the sexism.

[MikePinkerman]

Men and boys also suffer gender specific discrimination and a lack of self determination, eg forced marriage, conscription, child soldering, virtually no reproduction rights, forced labor, a life time of back breaking work in shocking conditions even if not forced or unemployment and a lack of societal role due to globalization..etc.

You seem immune to these points. The thought of your programs benefiting only girls in a village where the lives of boys are equally awful is saddening.

[James Moffat]

“highlighting the lack of choice faced by girls in developing countries does not deny that many boys in the same countries also face a lack of choice or do not have the same opportunities that boys in western countries have. This is a very clever use of technology to increase awareness and to that extent it has been very successful. The old adage goes "How do you eat and elephant? One bite at a time"..

[Santiago Cruz]

That was great!

[RichyDYupYup]

I agree it seems gender-biased. But a huge factor in this, is that advertising effects women on a whole much more than men. Just a thought

[Zimba Zumba]

In Canada they are now trying to undo the carnage wrought on the Aboriginal Community by well meaning attempts to educate them.

The residential school system was a disaster that did not look at the full picture.

Google:- Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

[Brandon Richards]

Re:- "We don't favour girls over boys"

Yes you do. You web site is almost exclusively about girls.

[MikePinkerman]

If girls aren't going to school then there other problems in that society. You are only treating a symptom and ignoring how it interacts with other problems. Solving just one problem could make the whole situation worse.

The "Educate the Girls" idea has become a popular idea but is not well thought out at all. Its based on sound bite and emotionally satisfying reasoning.

There is also the question of applying Western value systems to a perfectly functional society in the eyes of its members.

[Ahmed Nematallah]

I'm from a 3rd world country (Egypt) and girls have a bigger chance of education than boys, parents think boys are better at stuff like working on fields or selling goods

I think boys should have a better education than girls as they have a better chance to work and having them work is much more useful that having girls work

I think instead of people making this thing, they should spend that money on teaching children in 3rd world countries, donate to OLPC, or feed the hungry children in somalia

[DennisLottig]

this is the 21 century, whether you are male or female has nothing to do with the opportunities you get in life. its all about initiative.

[jreid9001]

Exactly. Sexism highlights differences. Claiming any one group - whether that be male, female, transgender, or anything else - deserves special treatment is being sexist.