In recent years, social media has been an increasingly hostile space for Muslims. This is no different in New Zealand, where in 2019, a terror attack killed 51 Muslims in their places of worship, forcing New Zealanders to grapple with the impacts of Islamaphobia and anti-immigrant hate.
Muslim women in New Zealand face a challenging combination of Islamaphobia and gendered abuse, including increasing online hatred, physical assault and harassment, particularly for women who wear hijab.
Through CHILL, the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ) is changing that by leveraging the positive power of social media to connect and amplify their stories.
CHILL stands for Challenge Islamophobic Language and Loathing. Through showcasing the diverse skills, joys and triumphs of Muslim women in New Zealand, CHILL is helping to:
The campaign aims to create a positive and inclusive space that amplifies the voices of Muslim women and inspires other New Zealanders to join the fight against Islamophobia.
As Aliya Danzeisen, IWCNZ National Coordinator, puts it:
“CHILL was created so more New Zealanders can hear stories of successful Muslim women, and to motivate our community to share their stories, so we can shatter the stereotypes used against us.”
IWCNZ is used to doing big things with limited resources, given their small team supports and represents 30,000 Muslim women across New Zealand.
The team developed the concept, design, and implementation of CHILL entirely themselves, which is part of the overall purpose of the campaign to hand the mic to Muslim women. As Shabina from IWCNZ explains:
“From start to finish, our campaign has been developed and managed ourselves, so we can share our stories without anyone speaking on our behalf.’
Importantly, CHILL also sought to empower non-Muslim New Zealanders with material to challenge stereotypes when they encounter gendered Islamaphobia in their wider communities. The team decided that through showcasing the diverse lives of Muslim women throughout New Zealand, CHILL would focus on the joy, strength, community belonging and leadership of New Zealand Muslim women, inspiring more people to counter hate.
Alongside a small local production company Eyes and Ears, director Calvin Sang, and photographer Ankita Singh, the creative team behind CHILL also reflects and celebrates New Zealand's diversity.
The campaign was not without its challenges, including securing funding. After a highly competitive grant process, IWCNZ was awarded a small amount of funding from the New Zealand Government to make CHILL a reality. However, the campaign budget remained tight, and the IWCNZ team relied on their creativity, connections, and skills to ensure this campaign’s impact and production value punched above its weight.
The team also worked to ensure a high duty of care to their participants. As Aliya outlines:
“Our campaign delivery involved dedicated monitoring of social media, with clear processes in place to support our participants if they encountered any abuse through their involvement with the campaign,”
CHILL launched in June 2024 with a community celebration featuring participants and their families. Over the next ten weeks, content rolled out across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter.
The campaign highlights the unique journeys, challenges and successes of Muslim women in New Zealand through eight personal stories:
CHILL content is warm, accessible and personal. While the content also included still images and quotes, the primary campaign materials are short, beautifully produced videos of participants telling their stories as they go about their lives - working, teaching, creating and sharing moments of joy with their diverse communities.
All videos end with the participant saying:
“Just CHILL, New Zealand, we’ve got this!”
“It’s been an honour to be a part of a campaign that aims at changing this prolonged false narrative. For once, we are being represented fairly, and I know this will change the opinions of many, including those who have never met us. " - Ugeshni
Given that CHILL challenges and provides a counterbalance to online hostility, the IWCNZ team was prepared to encounter some bad-faith engagements. Instead, they were thrilled to receive an outpouring of enthusiastic support from New Zealand and around the world.
The campaign had a shoestring advertising budget and exclusively targeted a New Zealand audience. CHILL content reached over 300,000 New Zealanders, and videos went viral locally for a small country as well as reaching global audiences.
On Instagram, the campaign teaser was viewed over 57,000 times. Nesra’s story was especially popular, reaching 55,000 views. On Facebook, Hend’s story gained nearly 14,000 impressions.
The campaign has been highlighted by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, Race Relations Day, nationwide media like Radio New Zealand, government ministries like the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and high-profile organisations like Sport New Zealand.
Globally, CHILL has been:
However, most importantly, the campaign has been energising and powerful for the participants themselves.
"By taking part in this campaign, I’ve felt a profound sense of purpose—helping inspire others while building awareness of the strength, diversity, and beauty within our community.” - Naeema
