Since 2006, the Nobel Women’s Initiative has worked in solidarity with women's movements, organisations, and activists around the world to build peace, defend justice, and champion equality for all. Slack Communications provided them with PR support during the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.
The challenge
In June 2014, 1,700 delegates including 79 government ministers representing 129 countries gathered for the first ever Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. Co-chaired by Angelina Jolie and William Hague, the London Summit sought to agree practical steps to tackle rape as a weapon of war and to change global attitudes to these crimes.
Among those looking to influence the discussion and extend its reach was the Nobel Women’s Initiative, part of a network of 90 organisations operating under the umbrella of the International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict.
The Nobel Women’s Initiative required PR outreach services to secure global media coverage across print, broadcast and digital. A fast turnaround; handling multiple languages and geographically dispersed media outlets; as well as an awareness of the regional and political sensitivities involved were among the challenges presented by the work
What we did
In the weeks running up to the Summit, Slack Communications set about building relationships with the world’s media, working with editors, planners and producers to aid in forward planning and secure coverage.
This culminated in an intense period of activity over the week of the Summit when 32 different individuals were put up for interview. The list included four Nobel Laureates, an actress and seven survivors of sexual violence.
The bravery of the women who told their stories was humbling, and it was an honour to be able to help them bring about the change so desperately needed.
Becky and her team were our on-the-ground ears, eyes and brains. They came early and left late, and kept us laughing even as they organised yet one more interview. They were professional, highly knowledgeable and strategic about which media were the most important for us to reach. We would hire them again, without hesitation
Some 86 live and pre-recorded interviews were conducted over a five-day period, across television, radio, print and digital for 40 publications and media outlets serving more than 20 countries worldwide.
Flagship coverage included:
– BBC Newsnight (UK)
– BBC Woman’s Hour (UK)
– Sky News (UK)
– Evening Standard (UK)
– Huffington Post (UK)
– Guardian (UK)
– AFP (France)
– El Tiempo (Colombia)
– Glamour (United States)
– NBC Universal: Ronan Farrow Daily (United States)
– O Globo (Brazil)
– CBC: As it happens (Canada)
– Xinhau News Agency (China)
