Romania: Rare banknotes reworked as manifesto for free contraception

This one-minute campaign aims to make a right out of two (perceived) wrongs - the only Romanian banknote to feature a women enjoyed only a limited circulation before being withdrawn; and The National Contraception Plan exists 'only on paper' - in order to galvanise people into action over the need for free contraception nationwide. Titled 'Pass The Bill', the thriller/suspense-style ad centres around the first Romanian banknote to feature a woman, which was launched in 2021. The 20-lei banknote depicted World War I soldier Ecaterina Teodoroiu, but its limited circulation led to many Romanians perceiving it as a failed attempt to modernise the representation of women in the country. In the campaign, the banknote serves as a metaphor for broken financial promises. Starring actress Ilinca Manolache, the core message of the film is that “as there’s no money featuring women, there’s no money for women either”. “The National Contraception Plan exists only on paper. The budget exists only on paper,” says Manolache in the film to underscore the lack of concrete action from the Romanian government. Women’s rights charities the FILIA Center and the Gender Equality Coalition say: “Reimbursing contraceptives means Romanian women can make informed decisions about their bodies. They can choose if and when to have a child, plan their future, and make educated choices for themselves. Without a national contraception plan, there will be more unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, leaving young people without access to life-saving information. For 15 years, women and girls in Romania have been denied access to subsidized contraception. It’s time for that to change. Women’s rights shouldn’t exist only on paper.”  Although unintended pregnancies continue to fall across Europe, Romania still has a high rate. This campaign shows Manolache in a dark room where a machine is making a recreated version of the 20-lei banknote. The bill has no monetary value, but anyone scanning the code that can be found on it, whether on a screen or physically, symbolically unlocks 20 lei for the initiative. It will be distributed within Romania’s largest health care network, Regina Maria. Manolache says: “I know well the efforts and intentions of the FILIA team, so I stand by them whenever possible. ‘Pass the Bill’ is one of those campaigns where I use my voice to amplify feminist messages in a society that tends to regress when it comes to women’s fundamental rights.”

Keywords: FILIA 'Pass The Bill', contraception Romania, women's rights, Gender Equality Coalition Romania, Ilinca Manolache, DDB Romania