Men Paint Nail to End Sexual Abuse: The Heartwarming Meaning Behind the Hype

Photos of men with one painted finger nail have been all over social media in the last year leaving people to question their intentions until they learned the heartwarming meaning behind this hype.

Nail it to end it

Men all over the world have united in a single cause – to help raise awareness about child abuse. By weekly painting one finger nail of their choice in any color they prefer, they are standing up for one in five children becoming victims to sexual abuse. The campaign quickly spread outside Australia, where it initially started, showing men everywhere displaying their willingness to make a change and some great fashion sense too.

The inspiration

Aside from presenting one in five children falling victim to abuse, there is another meaningful symbolism behind painting a finger nail. It started when Elliot Costello went to Cambodia as a part of the Hagar International project for helping poverty-stricken regions. There, he met a girl named Thea whom he soon became friends with. During one of their conversations, as she was painting his nails, he learned that she was a victim of sexual abuse on a daily basis while living in an orphanage. That was the moment that he decided to try to make a stop to this global issue. Inspired by her story and her favorite activity, he designed the campaign aimed to raise awareness and funds, provide recovery and care for victims, and ultimately, prevent child abuse.

Polished up men

The Polished Man Project is focused on inspiring men to polish up as great role models, great fathers, brothers, and friends in order to build a better world where not a single child suffers abuse. As a slogan on The Polished Man website reads, it “challenges men to nail it to end it.” By taking action, men are re-writing the abuser role they most often have in cases of sexual assaults, and instead of perpetuating the horror by ignoring it, they are standing up for and giving voice to the quieted.

Even though the campaign depicts only men, women are encouraged by the Polished Man Project to join men by supporting and praising them as “positive masculinity” role models with a hashtag #ipreferapolishedman.

According to the Polished Man Report for 2015, the movement helped raise $261,933.00 in the USA only, making it a 60% fundraising growth on 2014. By reaching more people each painted fingernail at a time, the movement could soon reach its goal of becoming global and providing each child with a safe and violent-free childhood.

The significance of the painted nail

One of the biggest criticisms the campaign received was with regards to men using fashion as a medium for such a serious problem. However, as one of the campaign’s advocates explained, the painted nail is an important representation of what the campaign aims to achieve. The painted nail represents a commitment to end the cycle of abuse and the perpetuation of traditional gender roles in which men are expected to be aggressive and dominant. Painting a nail is a small gesture that can create a conversation that could lead to important changes in the way men think about themselves and their roles in the fight against sexual abuse.

The campaign proved, once again, that small changes can indeed make the biggest difference, and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they come together to promote a common cause. By raising awareness and supporting programs to help prevent child abuse, the campaign has made a significant impact on children’s lives worldwide. Painting one nail may seem like a small act, but the message it carries is powerful, and its effect could be felt for generations to come.

Conclusion

The Polished Man project is an excellent example of how a small act of kindness can make a massive difference. It has inspired people all over the world to get involved in raising awareness and funds for child abuse prevention. And, as a result, it has helped to provide care and healing for countless children who have been victims of abuse.

One of the most significant aspects of the Polished Man campaign is that it has encouraged men to think differently about themselves, their roles as fathers, brothers, and friends, and about how they can contribute to the fight against sexual abuse. By painting their nails, men are demonstrating their commitment to change and their willingness to do whatever it takes to make the world a safer place for children.

In conclusion, the Polished Man project has achieved what it set out to do: raise awareness, create a safe space for children to speak up, and promote healthy attitudes towards masculinity. And while there is still much work to be done, it is clear that the campaign has had an incredible impact, and its legacy will be felt for years to come.