The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) launched its latest campaign earlier this month in cooperation with creative content agency, Don’t Panic.

The We Trust Women campaign, launched on the 97th anniversary of when women were first allowed to vote, advocates the decriminalisation of abortion throughout the UK.

Starting with the release of a short film entitled, 'On The Shoulders of Giants', the piece addresses issues surrounding women's rights, with significant focus on the amazing achievements made by women throughout history. Women in the UK are still subject to abortion legislation that dates back to Victorian times: the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act (OAPA) made having or providing an abortion a crime with a potential life sentence. The more recent Abortion Act of 1967 did not eradicate the OAPA or decriminalise abortion, but instead added exemptions where certain requirements had to be met. It was designed to protect women’s health yet, in the 21st Century, a woman’s choice might still be prevented from receiving the best possible medical care.

Don’t Panic worked with illustrator, Sam St Leger, and production company, The Mono Grande, to bring the idea to life. The multimedia video highlights the risk of life imprisonment for women through the use of laser cut, hand-drawn illustrations that represent prominent historical events in women’s rights. Humans actress, Gemma Chan, features as the voice-over, urging the British public to support the campaign and end the OAPA law.

Joe Wade, CEO and co-founder of Don’t Panic, says, “The BPAS We Trust Women campaign is important and timely, so we wanted to create a content-led approach that would be visually compelling and empowering for audiences. Content that resonates emotionally with people around big and important social issues is what drives audiences to engage with it, share it, and take action.”