Building a Violence-Free Future: How Small Mistakes Can Become Big Cultural Problems (And How We Stop It)

In the Callaway Golf and Good Good Golf ad meant to promote a driver, a man was seen rushing toward a woman who eventually shoved him to the ground in order to pull out his driver. There was so much backlash interpreting the ad as promoting gender violence. Even though the creator said otherwise, people still believed it was a poor way to present an advertisement while trying to make it look funny. Personally, I think the creator didn't mean harm; it was a simple mistake he didn't pay attention to. However, if ignored, it can eventually become a culture that normalizes such violence against women. Everything that grows into a culture once started as a simple mistake.

Image generated using Gemini AI

Over the years, there have been advocacy programs and campaigns fighting against the normalization of violence against women. Companies and organizations cut ties with any creator that promotes gender violence, and society has risen to fight against it. With education, women are beginning to exercise their rights and find a place in society. While it may have been common in the past, no one is trying to normalize violence against women in this era, even though women are considered to be weaker vessels. We are gradually evolving into a world where everyone has a say and a right.

However, there are few cases of violence against women, but judging from the past, there has been a great impact in stopping the violence. The narrative "women are for the kitchen" has faded, and women now hold vital positions in society. The female child now has the right to study and exercise certain power in the family. This was not so in the past. With each era comes a shift—one to correct certain ideologies that promoted violence against women. In a few years to come, I believe women will live fearlessly against bullying and violence from the male gender, knowing well that society frowns upon violence against women and that serious measures are taken to punish perpetrators.