Butt-kicking ad campaign pulled

‘THE ‘butt’ stops here!’ Metcalfe Attorneys yesterday said in a public apology for a newspaper advertisement displaying the backside of a woman with the text ‘still kicking it’.

Since this advertisement was placed in newspapers on Friday and Saturday, it has ruffled feathers especially among women’s rights organisations, who claimed that it was not only sexist but also promoted violence against women.The law firm said the advertisement was ‘hugely misinterpreted’. ‘The advertisement was simply intended to infuse a touch of humour with wordplay and was in no way whatsoever intended to disparage or offend anybody, least of all women.’Earlier, Retha Steinmann, the director of the Law Society of Namibia, indicated that this body would consider filing a complaint with its Statutory Disciplinary Committee against the law firm for alleged unprofessional, unethical and untoward conduct.Following the controversy, the law firm said: ‘We realise that the advertisement has been hugely misinterpreted and we herewith offer our sincere apology to those sectors of the public whose sensitivities we may have offended and to the Law Society of Namibia.’According to Richard Metcalfe, a follow-up advertisement – intended to show ‘a tasteful male image’ – was halted as a result of the public outcry that ensued after the placing of the first advertisement.Metcalfe told The Namibian that he was taken aback by the public’s reaction.’We would like to reiterate our view that we totally respect and celebrate the female gender and we share the vision for a society that recognises, protects and celebrates the full personhood of all females and we condemn any violence against women and children (and indeed any violence towards persons whatsoever), whether physical, financial and emotional.’On Friday, the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) lashed out at the advertisement, stating that ‘the Constitution also prohibits degrading treatment. Advertisements that suggest that gender-based violence is okay, even inadvertently or in jest, disregard the dignity of women’.