There have been numerous occasions where men have been spotted flaunting a single painted fingernail. While it is easier to believe that this is some kind of hipster fashion trend that men have started following, it is necessary to unravel the mystery behind such occurrences.
The fingernail which men choose to paint may vary along with the choice of color. Some men may choose to add a variety of designs to it like women usually do, but the essential meaning of the gesture remains the same. It began in Australia and has caught with the male population of America as well.
So what is the reason behind such a trend?
The man who started this trend was Elliot Costello who met a girl named Thea while he was travelling with a group called Hagar International. They were in Cambodia to determine the situation of this underprivileged area. The visit to the village had a great impact on Elliot who soon realized a major problem that affected children all over the world.
As Elliot learned more about Thea, he found that this little girl was sexually abused in the past. He found out this while they both were bonding and Thea was narrating her struggles. They both bonded over painting nails. Yes, Elliot painted her nails and she in turn painted one of his. To mark the moment and in order to start a movement, Elliot decided to leave his finger painted. He wanted to remember Thea and her story by that painted nail.
The impression on Elliot’s mind was a long lasting one. He decided to take action against the increasing number of cases of sexual abuse of young children. He came up with the Polished Man project which encourages men to become a #PolishedMan by painting a finger nail for a week.
The painted finger nail represents 1 in 5 children who is a victim of sexual abuse at some point in his or her life.
According to the Polished Man’s website, “being a Polished Man means challenging violent behavior and language, both locally and globally.” The project is designed to spread awareness about sexual violence against children. Elliot wanted men to take part in this movement since 96% of such violence is perpetrated by the males.
It is not only about seeing a guy with a painted nail and think about the thousands of children who are suffering every day, every hour throughout the world. It is about initiating a conversation about this sad reality and developing ideas to put an end to it. It also aims at encouraging people to donate in order to provide for the education and rehabilitation programs for the survivors of child sexual abuse.
The campaign has become popular with many men posting pictures of their painted nail in order to show their support. If you see or know someone who has painted his nail, initiate a conversation and spread more awareness. If you are a man then paint your nail to remember all those children who have suffered and are suffering.
This kind of evil lurks even in urban educated households so don’t dismiss it as a Third-World problem. Maybe a girl like Thea will see your nail and ask you about it. You could make her feel secure by letting her know that she is not alone and can report such matters if need be.
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