UNwomen “Unpack the Everyday” Kampanyası Afiş Tasarımlarında Kadın Temsili ve Göstergebilim Okuması

Abstract

Bu çalışma, kadına yönelik şiddetle mücadele temalı afişlerde kadının temsil biçimlerini ve bu temsillerin ürettiği anlam katmanlarını irdelemek amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Kadına yönelik şiddetin görsel temsillerinde kadının çoğunlukla edilgen, mağdur ve pasif bir figür olarak sunulduğu görülürken, bu çalışmada kadınların farkındalık geliştiren, direnen ve özneleşen bireyler olarak görselleştirilmiş temsil biçimleri incelenmiş, alışılmışın dışında bir moral ve umut dili araştırılmıştır. Çalışmanın örneklemi, tasarım ve anlatım dili açısından diğer örneklerden ayrışan UN Women tarafından yürütülen “Unpack the Everyday” kampanyasını oluşturan on sosyal kampanya afişiyle sınırlandırılmıştır. Bu afişler; Roland Barthes’ın göstergebilimsel çözümleme yöntemi temel alınarak, her birinde “gösteren, gösterilen, düz anlam ve yan anlam” düzeyleri üzerinden analiz edilmiştir. Yapılan çözümlemeler, kampanya afişlerinin yalnızca farkındalık yaratmakla kalmadığını; aynı zamanda izleyiciyi duygusal olarak etkileyen, sıradan nesneler aracılığıyla kadınların yaşadığı tehditleri görünür kılan ve kadını pasif bir mağdur değil, direnç geliştiren bir özne olarak temsil eden, etkili görsel stratejiler sunduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu yönüyle çalışma, grafik tasarım alanında semiyotik çözümlemenin kadın temsillerine uygulanmasına dair örnekleyici bir model ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma yalnızca belirli bir kampanya örneğini analiz etmekle kalmayıp, toplumsal farkındalık afişlerinin temsil biçimlerini dönüştürme ve toplumsal dönüşüm yaratma potansiyeline dikkat çekmektedir. Elde edilen bulgular, kadın temsiline yönelik geleneksel kurban anlatılarına ilişkin eleştirel bir bakış geliştirerek daha etik, yaratıcı ve güçlendirici alternatif bir anlatı modeli sunmakta ve bu sayede hem görsel kültür literatürünü hem de tasarımcıların uygulama alanlarına özgün katkılar sunarak zenginleştirmektedir.

Keywords

• Grafik Tasarım
• Afiş Tasarımı
• Kadın Temsili
• Göstergebilim Analizi
• Toplumsal Farkın-dalık Kampanyası

Women’s Representation and Semiotic Analysis in UN Women’s “Unpack the Everyday” Campaign Poster Designs

Abstract

This study aims to examine the representational forms of women and the layers of meaning these representations produce in posters designed to combat violence against women. While visual portrayals of gender-based violence often depict women as passive, victimized, and helpless figures, this research focuses on alternative representations in which women are visualized as aware, resistant, and agentic individuals, exploring a moral and hopeful visual language that departs from the conventional victim narrative. The sample of the study is limited to ten social campaign posters from UN Women’s “Unpack the Everyday” campaign, which distinguishes itself from other examples in terms of its design and narrative approach. These posters were analyzed using Roland Barthes’s semiotic framework, focusing on the levels of “signifier, signified, denotation, and connotation” in each visual. The analyses reveal that the campaign not only raises awareness but also employs powerful visual strategies that emotionally engage the viewer, make invisible threats experienced by women visible through everyday objects, and represent women not as passive victims, but as subjects who develop awareness and resistance. In this respect, the study offers an exemplary model for the application of semiotic analysis to female representation within the field of graphic design. Rather than merely analyzing a specific campaign, the study highlights the transformative potential of social awareness posters in reshaping representation and contributing to social change. The findings propose an alternative narrative model that is more ethical, creative, and empowering, offering a critical perspective on traditional victim-centered portrayals of women, and enriching both the visual culture literature and the practical field of design through original insights.

Keywords

• Graphic Design
• Poster Design
• Representation of Women
• Semiotic Analysis
• Social Awareness Campaign

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