This #DearDaddy Video Addresses Violence Against Women in an Incredibly Powerful Way

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "1 in 3 women worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, usually from a male partner." This statistic was cited by CARE Norway, a branch of the charity Care International, for its powerful PSA titled, #DearDaddy. The video is an open letter told from the perspective of an unborn baby girl, bringing awareness to the fact that fathers need to join the conversation of domestic abuse and sexual assault against women. The campaign stresses that their daughters aren't just in need of protection from "lions, tigers, guns, cars" — the obvious dangers. But rather, a larger societal change must be in order to prevent greater harm. The video narrates the girl's lifetime of abuse, opening with:

"I will be born a girl, which means that by the time I'm 14, the boys in my class will have called me a wh*re, a b*tch, a c*nt, and many other things. It's just for fun of course . . . something boys do. So you won't worry and I understand that. Perhaps you did the same when you were young, trying to impress some of the other boys."

She then continues to explain how by 16, she'll have experienced boys touching her while she was drunk, even after saying no. Then by 21, before she meets her future husband, she will have been raped by a family friend whose insulting jokes "daddy" used to laugh at.

"Then finally I meet mister perfect and you're so happy for me, Daddy, because he really adores me and he's smart with a great job . . . but one day he stops being mister perfect and I don't know why. Wait, am I overreacting? One thing I do know I'm not the victim type. I'm raised to be a strong and independent woman but one night it's just too much for him . . . and he calls me a wh*re . . . then another day he hits me . . . I'm so confused because I love him and I hate him and I'm not sure if I really did do something wrong. And then one day he almost kills me."

She explains how it wasn't supposed to happen to her — she was brought up well, earned a PhD, and has a great job. And yet, she was unable to escape abuse from the men in her lifetime.

"Dear Daddy, this is the favor I want to ask. One thing always leads to another, so please stop it before it gets the chance to begin."

#DearDaddy is a chilling message that domestic and sexual violence against women stems from a much deeper issue. What begins as a "harmless" joke at a young age later becomes the norm in that boy's life. It becomes an acceptable part of him that will bleed into how he views and treats women. Because "it's just for fun, of course."

The English version of the video has gone viral since being released just a few days ago, with over 1 million views on YouTube and over 5 million on Facebook. And after viewing it for ourselves, we understand why.