This year, from Thursday, 25th November to Friday, 10th December, Savera UK is joining forces with Zonta Club London to raise awareness of violence against women and girls in our Orange the World 2021 campaign.
We are speaking out about; domestic abuse, rape, harassment and hidden harmful practices like ‘honour’-based abuse, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage.
As we explore different themes throughout 16 days of activism, we are asking you to think about what you can personally do to help make small changes in your corner of the world.
One way to inspire and ignite conversation is to write your own opinion piece.
This can prompt others to share their own thoughts and not only discuss the topic but create an online community of people who want to see change happen.
You don’t have to be an award-winning journalist to write a powerful opinion piece; you can simply share it on your own blog or pitch your idea to other bloggers with similar values.
With that in mind, we have pulled together some tips on how you can create an effective and heartfelt opinion piece that will resonate with your readers and encourage action.
Have something to say
Writing about a topic where you don’t have much to say will be obvious to your readers.
Your chosen subject needs to be an issue you care deeply about, and where you want to have an impact in bringing about change.
When you know what cause you are passionate about, you can start considering what specifically you think needs to be remedied – and how that differs or aligns with other people’s opinions.
Make your voice stand out from the crowd
While you might have sparked the activist in you and be inspired to create change, you need to make sure you don’t get lost in a sea of voices.
Think about how you can bring your own personal experiences to the opinion piece in a way that you are comfortable doing.
By sharing your own story, or bringing a unique perspective to an issue, you will create a distinctive voice that can cut through the noise and get straight to the heart of why change is needed.
Keep it simple
Avoid trying to impress your readers with fancy words and dense language.
You can alienate your audience if you try to over-complicate things by throwing in too many unnecessary points that take away from your message.
Instead, choose to focus on getting your message across as clearly as you can. By doing so your story will resonate with more people, and your opinion piece will be more accessible.
Encourage conversation
Once you have shared your own thoughts and experiences, encourage your readers to have a frank conversation around the realities of the issue.
A simple prompt or question at the end of your piece creates a way for readers to start a debate without having to immediately divulge their own experience, creating space for safe and open conversation.
It’s these discussions that lead to ideas, collaboration and action within the community.
Savera UK invites you to write your own opinion piece around the subject of violence against women and prompt vital debate to help create change within your community.