Mindshare and Volvo Car India urge women to #MakeYourCitySafe

Mindshare has recently collaborated with Swedish automobile manufacturing company Volvo Car India to launch #MakeYourCitySafe, a campaign aimed at empowering women to take a stand on their safety. Culminating in Mumbai, the campaign was organised in partnership with CrossBow Miles with National Commission for Women and The Hans Foundation backing the cause.

With Volvo Car India acting as the Safety Partner, the campaign takes the form of a desperate plea from the city to its female residents to not give up or lose hope in it and, instead, to take to the streets and make their city safer for themselves. It was started with a thoughtful and poetic brand film that urged women to step out in large numbers and reclaim the streets to make them safer because women themselves hold the key to the burning issue of women safety.

Being a progressive, culturally-rooted and socially-conscious brand, Volvo Car India followed up on women’s safety through collaboration with those who’re doing something about it. So it tied up with CrossBow Miles, whose founder Srishti Bakshi has just completed a 3,800 km nation-wide journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on foot to encourage women to come out of their houses and empower themselves. As part of the campaign, Volvo, in collaboration with Bakshi, called on the women of the city to embark on an iconic walk into the night, and disengage violence with city spaces, de-villainising streets, and reminding men and women both that these spaces are meant for all. She was joined by other men and women in an action to make their cities safer, challenge norms, break them and change them.

The event began with a musical performance followed by a poetry recitation by feminist poet Aranya Johar, and an address by Bakshi. Several noted personalities, associated with the cause, were present at the event to show their support. The intent behind the initiative was to create a positive, practical and sincere solution to the lack of women's safety in the city's streets, through this walk of solidarity, urging more women to take a stand and reclaim their city.

Charles Frump, Managing Director, Volvo Car India, said, “Women safety and empowerment are two issues that we feel strongly about. A society can be truly progressive if women get equal opportunities, feel safe and confident. We support Bakshi in her mission and urged everyone to join us during the Mumbai Night Walk to show solidarity towards the cause.”

Volvo was responsible for launching the Volvo XC90, recently bestowed with the title of ‘Safest Car in the World’ by IIHS, and now, it endeavours to make the environment safer too, for women. This association with Mindshare, a brand known for its successful track record of providing competitive marketing advantages to businesses and their brands, is expected to help unite women and encourage them to reclaim their streets without letting fear and daily headlines of violence and assault deter them. This is because the more the number of women on the streets, the safer they become for them. The walk was meant to be a symbolic wake-up call for its residents.

Mac Machaiah, Chief Innovation Officer, Mindshare South Asia, said, “Being a highly forward thinking agency, we are eagerly looking forward to this collaboration, and are proud to receive this opportunity to raise awareness about such a burning issue. Together with Srishti Bakshi of Crossbow Miles, Volvo, and the women of Mumbai, we hope to help make the streets, and the city, safer for women.”

Bakshi, Founder, CrossBow Miles, said, “CrossBow Miles has been walking for women’s safety and empowerment through the country, covering a distance of 3800 km on foot, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. It was a perfect synergy of belief with Volvo’s #MakeYourCitySafe campaign because we have been conducting night walks across the country to encourage women to step out of their homes and realize their true potential.”

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