Male celebrities are painting their nails for a cause

KARACHI: In a country where innocent children like Zohra Shah continue to suffer at the hands of adults every day, talking about child abuse and putting a stop to the crime is essential. While celebrities like Adnan Malik and Shehzad Roy have previously spoken about the issue, there still needs to be greater awareness. To initiate the dialogue, local male celebrities have joined the Polished Man campaign which aims to end violence against children. Pakistani celebrities and sportsmen including Wasim Akram, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Shoaib Malik and Humayun Saeed have joined the cause.

Under the Polished Man campaign running through October, men are being encouraged to paint a single nail to symbolize the one billion children which become victims of child abuse each year. The painted nail is meant to break stereotypes of what being a ‘man’ means, specially in a traditional society like ours where painting nails is strictly for women and any man who wishes to do the same is not ‘man enough’. The campaign in Pakistan is being spearheaded by Shaniera Akram who continues to remind her audiences how importance it is to break social stigma and talk about things which really matter.

In a recent interview, Adnan Malik explained the concept behind painting nails. Polished Man was co-founded by Elliot Costello after he had spent some time with a kid in an orphanage in Vietnam who had painted his nails. Costella later found out that the child was a victim of abuse. In order to highlight the issue of child abuse and to symbolize the innocence and playful nature of children, the Polished Man campaign was started.

Prominent male figures across the country are now uploading pictures on their social media with a painted nail and tagging three others to do the same. However, every man across the country is encouraged to join the cause and help create a safer world for children.