Screenshot of Kafa's post, widely shared on social media and which has since been deleted.
The Lebanese NGO Kafa, known for its mission to protect women and combat domestic violence, faced backlash Thursday after a controversial social media post aimed at raising awareness about domestic violence. The campaign used visuals and language similar to evacuation warnings issued by Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee on X during the recent war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Beginning in late September 2024, Adraee's evacuation notices became a regular feature on X, urging residents to flee as Israel’s large-scale offensive unfolded across Lebanon following a year of escalating clashes with Hezbollah. The war killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon, and despite a cease-fire on Nov. 27, at least 40 others have been killed by Israeli strikes since then.
Kafa’s now-deleted post featured an image of a building with a red-highlighted room in an apartment and the caption: “Women and victims of violence do not have the chance to evacuate.”
On X, the NGO posted a similar message: “Urgent warning to residents, especially women in the highlighted rooms: you are in a place under the control of a violent person. For your safety, you must find an evacuation plan to escape this cycle of violence,” written in similar words as Israeli evacuations.
The post also called for the adoption of a comprehensive law to protect women from domestic violence. Screenshots of the campaign sparked outrage online, with many accusing the NGO of being tone-deaf.
Backlash and Criticism
“With all due respect to Kafa's efforts, what is this provocative ad that reawakens the traumas of the war?” journalist Fatima Abdallah wrote on X. “This is not how you raise awareness. A campaign should not mimic Avichay’s manner! This is a failed attempt.”
Other users echoed the criticism, calling the campaign “poorly thought out” and “traumatic.” One user said the campaign did “more harm than awareness,” while another urged Kafa to apologize: “At this point, just apologize to the victims you tried to empower.”
Kafa Responds
Following the backlash, Kafa released a statement Thursday evening defending its campaign. The NGO said the goal was to “shock” the public into action, drawing parallels between the terror caused by Adraee’s wartime warnings and the fear women experience living with domestic violence. “The terror we felt with each alert is no different from what women victims of violence feel every second their aggressor enters the home without warning,” the statement read.
Kafa said the campaign aimed to remind people of the wartime experience “when lives were at risk every moment” and to highlight the ongoing danger women face. The NGO noted that 17 women had been killed by relatives or partners, and three had died by suicide, though it did not specify the time frame for these figures.
Leila Awada, a lawyer and founding member of Kafa, doubled down on the approach in an interview with An-Nahar: “We needed to create this shock. When we post the number of abused women on our page, people don’t respond. This was meant to grab attention and push for change.”
Mixed Reactions
While Kafa defended its decision as necessary to spur public and legislative action, critics remained unconvinced. “Your statement doesn’t fix the situation. What’s done is done,” one X user wrote. Another called the campaign a “badly executed idea” that retraumatized the public.
Despite the controversy, Kafa maintained that the campaign’s shock factor was intentional. “Violence against women is a life-or-death issue,” the NGO stated. “The war against women has not stopped and won’t stop without deterrent laws. Sometimes, the collective conscience needs a shock to wake up to this reality.”