Cummins&Partners and Plan International Australia have released a new campaign demonstrating what it’s really like to “Walk Like A Woman”.

In a 2018 study of 38 countries, including those with much higher homicide rates, Australia had the largest gap between how men and women feel about their safety when walking alone at night, with many women reporting they felt under threat.

Plan International Australia ambassador and host of Sexism And The City podcast Jan Fran said: “‘Walk Like A Woman’ was breaking new ground in allowing men to step into the shoes of a young woman.

“Most men want to help girls and women feel safer, yet they have never thought about how their presence affects girls and women walking alone at night – through no fault of their own, men simply don’t know how it feels to be a woman”.

To tackle the issue, Cummins&Partners and Risk Sound have created ‘Walk Like a Woman’, an immersive 3D soundscape recorded with a series of omni-directional microphones that lets men experience just what it’s like to walk alone as a young woman.

The track launches today as part of a playlist on Spotify and is supported by outdoor, catch-up TV, social and digital.

Plan International Australia CEO Susanne Legena said Walk Like A Woman would speak to the growing movement of men who want to help young women feel safe, and be allies for gender equality.

She said: “The tragic death of Aiia Maasarwe in Melbourne brought the issue of safety for young women to the forefront.

“We know from our Unsafe In The City research on street harassment that many young women are scared walking around their cities – some women in Sydney told us they avoid certain places, or stopped studying or working because they felt unsafe.

“Making our cities safer and more equal is critical to improving access for everyone to education, work and their communities, particularly girls and young women”.

 

Credits

Client: Plan International Australia

Agency: Cummins&Partners

Sound House: Risk Sound

Sound Designer: Liam Annert

Creative Director: Sarah McGregor

Senior Copywriter: Liam Jenkins

Copywriter: Michelle Canning

Art Director: Ben Horewood

Designers: Ellena Mills, Sarah Skotnicki and Amber Hunter

Senior Integration Manager: Kara Brumfit

Integration Manager: Bec Gehrig

Connections Planning Manager: Will Millar

Digital Designer and Developer: Chris Staring