Nearly 4 out of 5 men in Canada are not always comfortable confronting sexist comments and jokes on social media
Montreal, Friday, March 8, 2024 – Women’s Shelters Canada, a charitable organization that supports shelters that accommodate women and their children fleeing violence, is proud to launch today, on International Women’s Day, the “Crickets” initiative to fight sexism online. Finding the right words to respond to sexist jokes can be challenging. That’s why the organization invites Canadiens to call out sexist comments online by responding with a cricket emoji 🦗🦗🦗- the ultimate symbol of “that’s not funny.”
A recent survey conducted by Leger on behalf of Women’s Shelters Canada in February 2024 reveals that 78% of men in Canada are not always comfortable confronting sexist comments and jokes on social media when they witness them.
“These online comments and jokes normalize and even reinforce the attitudes and beliefs that lead to gender-based violence. Our goal is to provide a symbol, recognized by all, to make men feel comfortable calling out other men for their sexism online. ” — Kaitlin Geiger-Bardswich, Director of Communications, Development, and Grants, Women’s Shelters Canada.
The organization developed a web crawler that identifies sexist jokes and comments made on social media platforms, and uses the @cricketclapback account to respond with the cricket emoji, to make the point that online sexism is not funny. Several Canadian male celebrities are joining the movement to help set an example. The organization aspires to create a significant cultural change so that this symbol becomes the means to call out sexist jokes and comments made online.
In addition to its presence on social networks, this initiative will be broadcast on various platforms: TV, print and out-of-home. For more information, visit: cricketclapback.ca
About Women’s Shelters Canada
Women’s Shelters Canada brings together 16 provincial and territorial shelter organizations and supports over 600 shelters across the country that serve women and children fleeing violence. For more information, visit the website.
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Source:
Kaitlin Geiger-Bardswich
Director of Communications, Development, and Grants
Women’s Shelters Canada
Information or requests for interviews:
Vanessa Boucher
514 432-3587
vanessa.boucher@alineaconversations.com