Jessica MacDowall has been working as a TV-producer for over twenty years and has produced acclaimed documentary series such as “A Violent Love” and “A Body for Sale”, “Honour-based violence and oppression” and Without Consent for SVT. Now her autobiographical books “En våldsam kärlek: vägen till ett värdigt liv” (A Violent love-the path to a dignified life) and Utan er, ingenting, vägen till frihet (“Without You, nothing: The Road to Freedom)has been released as a hardcover, e-book, and audiobook. Here she talks for the first time about her own experiences with domestic violence and aftermath of violence.
She has worked as a TV producer for over 20 years and has had the privilege and joy of working in all the genres that exist in the TV market. It has been incredibly educational, and she has truly loved all productions regardless of the subject. A lot of this, of course, has to do with the fantastic people she meets through her work.
Getting to be a part of major entertainment and drama as well as reality and infotainment allows her to grow with the job. However, her heart and greatest commitment have always been in highlighting various social issues where people are suffering in one way or another. That is where she wants to contribute and make a difference.
To successfully get people engaged, one must do everything possible to also help them understand, for example, what the mechanisms are behind various problems. Informing through entertainment of various kinds is a powerful tool. Getting vulnerable individuals to identify themselves, as well as helping relatives and the rest of society understand, is the real goal. It is difficult to seek help, or for that matter to help, if you do not know how it should be done.
Over the years, she has had the joy of producing several documentary series on subjects that engage her and that she wants to help educate the public about. These have led to her having the opportunity to elevate the debate, thereby being invited to news broadcasts and morning shows. Especially in recent years, she has highlighted the topic of men’s violence against women in various forms. Time permitting, she visits government agencies, businesses, and schools to hold lectures on the subject of domestic violence. It is one of our greatest social problems, costing billions of kronor every year. She believes that the work should start when children are young by addressing gender norms. Ultimately, it is a question of equality.