Artwork depicting the physical punishment that many parents use to discipline their children won the first prize in the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s domestic violence art competition, which ended on April 16, 2021.
A release from the ministry said that twenty-nine year old, Leon Hardowar, who painted the winning piece captioned “Spare The Rod; Save The Child”, stated that physical abuse often results in scars, both physical and mental.
“My painting depicts a child, kneeling on the ground caught in the act of drawing on the wall. The drawing is of a happy family, one that the child dreams of. Parents often (resort) to physical abuse as an outlet of their personal issues. However, children are most vulnerable at this age and need to be protected then and always,” he explained in his description.
The domestic violence contest invited artistes to submit artwork depicting the elimination of violence against vulnerable groups including women and children using the hashtag #enoughwiththeviolence.
The Ministry congratulated Hardowar for his artwork and message.
