Twitter is well aware that as 2020 progressed, the world has seen a “shadow pandemic.” Simply, violence against women has surged as lockdowns to control COVID-19 continue. This month, Twitter partnered with both UN Women and UN Human Rights Office to bring awareness to violence against women and the unequal impact the pandemic has had on them.
Through this partnership, Twitter launched several custom emojis to amplify the conversation around the topic. For example, there is now a custom emoji for #GenerationEquality:
Loud and proud. #GenerationEquality pic.twitter.com/f8XKyfvLEY
— UN Women (@UN_Women) January 3, 2021
And for #OrangeTheWorld:
Media has a fundamental role to play to stop rape culture. 📰
Let’s flip the narrative that places blame on victims and use the power of language in service of survivors, not perpetrators. #orangetheworld pic.twitter.com/DEjwxPjHR3
— UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳 (@UNESCO) December 29, 2020
Plus, Twitter supported non-profits fighting gender violence by offering Ads for Good grants so they can reach a wider audience.
It also expanded how it’s able to offer support to those who need help. On its blog, Twitter explained: “When people search terms associated with gender-based violence on Twitter, they will receive a notification with contact information for local hotlines and other resources to encourage them to reach out for help.”