Before you post a #ChallengeAccepted picture, here’s the truth behind the new trend

The latest viral social media challenge - #ChallengeAccepted - sees women across the globe posting black and white photos of themselves and nominating other women to do the same. People believed the challenge was started to spread positivity during the pandemic and to encourage women to support other women.

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To all the strong women who’ve nominated me... #challengeaccepted @cassandragrey @iamjojo @iamkittens @rubyrose @libbykelter @sarasampaio @katesowers5

A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on Jul 27, 2020 at 6:13pm PDT

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Challenge accepted @ritunandadesign @sujstyle @aydasoon @supernamotwane @tanaaz @joyna_mukherjee @falgunipeacock @sripeepul @mayuri_1192 @mariannerao @saffron @natashanaegamvala @reba_john @joannegair @bij74 @balibbali @ishikamohanmotwane @sharlene_batlivala @bosejayati @renatamoulik #womensupportingwomen #womeninspiringwomen pic @pravintalan for @falgunishanepeacockindia

A post shared by Anaita Adajania (@anaitashroffadajania) on Jul 26, 2020 at 7:19am PDT

However, many Turkish women took to social media recently to clarify that the latest trend became popular in Turkey as a mark of protest against the growing atrocities against women in the country. The black and white photos were apparently meant to represent how pictures of murdered victims of gender violence end up in black and white in newspapers.

The incident that triggered the latest viral challenge is the murder of Pinar Gutelkin, a 27-year-old woman, who was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend. Her death sparked widespread outrage across the country, throwing light on the country’s high femicide rate. According to reports, a whopping 474 women were killed in the country in 2019 due to gender-based violence and abuse and with the pandemic lockdown and restrictions, the number for 2020 is expected to be even higher.

“Your beautiful black & white photo is yes, meant to empower other women as your sister, but because so many men disregard & dispose us of our worth,” wrote one user explaining the origin behind the trend.

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As #challengeaccepted continues to trend, here is some more information on the origin of the post & how it became suddenly popular out of nowhere❕ . It began to spread first in Turkey as millions of us here grieve the deaths of several women, this week alone, who have garnered a lot of media attention as victims of Femicide. . As the Turkish government looks to back out of the Istanbul Convention, which is made to protect the high number of domestic abuse cases against women, people are angry & banded together to show solidarity against this action. . Your beautiful black & white photo is yes, meant to empower other women as your sister, but because so many men disregard & dispose us of our worth. . I urge you to google Femicide and read the horrific accounts some women have faced. Violence against women anywhere is a tragedy! Share with purpose ✨ . #Femicide #womenempoweringwomen #sisterhood #kadınaşiddetehayır #istanbulsözleşmesiyaşatır #Feminism

A post shared by Zeycan Rochelle YILDIRIM (@zeycan_rochelle) on Jul 27, 2020 at 7:10pm PDT

After the original meaning of the campaign came to light, Chef Nigella Lawson updated her original #challengeaccepted post with an apology.

“I have only just found out that this challenge was originally meant to draw attention to the growing number of murders of women in Turkey, and am mortified didn’t know when I posted. It seems inappropriate now, and hardly fitting for the serious and terrible issue of femicide. I apologise,” she wrote.

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I can’t keep saying no grumpily to such great women so #challengeaccepted @zoeadjonyoh @plaxylocatelli @csabadallazorza @henriettaconrad (5-year-old photo, I’m afraid, but the only one I could find in black-and-white) . I have only just found out that this challenge was originally meant to draw attention to the growing number of murders of women in Turkey, and am mortified didn’t know when I posted. It seems inappropriate now, and hardly fitting for the serious and terrible issue of femicide. I apologise.

A post shared by Nigella (@nigellalawson) on Jul 28, 2020 at 11:00am PDT