White Ribbon’s dark film about raising daughters

Although the idea that a man needs to have a daughter to see that his behaviour towards women might be unacceptable is frustrating, it is possibly true for many. 

This PSA created by Toronto-based creative agency Bensimon Byrne and directed by Hubert Davis, through Untitled Films, encourages men – including those without daughters – to consider how they can help to eradicate gender violence by considering how they treat girls and women.

Based on the research that 70 per cent of Canadians are anxious about raising daughters due to gender inequality and violence, the film I Knew All Along cleverly reveals how a doting new dad – while imagining what the baby in his arms is likely to face as she grows up – realises he could have made the world better for women by considering his own actions sooner.

Joseph Bonnici, CCO Bensimon Byrne commented: “The inspiration for the film came from the multitude of videos on social platforms, often played for laughs, detailing father’s worries about ‘other boys and men’ as their daughters grow up. It seemed like there was a total lack of self-examination about how they may have treated women or girls in their past.”

“Displays of harmful gender norms and stereotypes are so ingrained within our culture that it often takes personal experience, such as having a daughter, for many men to recognise these unhealthy behaviours,” adds Humberto Carolo, White Ribbon’s Executive Director.