WHY Documentaries has been named winner of the Best Use of Digital Media at the NSW Premier’s Multicultural Communication Awards.
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The win for Sandra Pires and her team was for the work it did joining forces with CORE Community Services to raise awareness about forced marriage in Australia.
The social media content including three short films using anglo children, so as not to create division, were made to highlight support services available.
Why Documentaries produced four weeks of content that was rolled out to 10 different stakeholders.
It coincided with a #choicenotforce campaign to inform young people to know that they have a choice in who they get to marry.
“It was important. We know we saved some lives by the referrals that were made,” Ms Pires said.
“This was the first ever digital campaign on forced marriage in Australia.
“Hopefully working with communities in the future who practice this, we will be able to get to a point where this no longer exists, in Australia anyway,” Ms Pires said.
She said it was not many years ago when there were people in Australia marrying at 15 or 16. That is now considered a forced marriage under the age of consent in Australian law and no major religion in the world endorses it. The practice became illegal in Australia five years ago and 174 referrals have been received by the Australian Federal Police.
Ms Pires said the win was important because “we only work on projects that make a difference or help make positive change”.
“It is a big win because we are so small.”
The Illawarra took out two of the 12 awards at the NSW Premier’s Multicultural Communications Awards (PMCAs) on Monday night.
The other winner was the Multicultural Community Council Illawarra.
The PMCA’s recognise excellence in the multicultural media and marketing industry and recognise the valuable contribution they play in our society by connecting people to their culture, identity and language.
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