Avon has rolled out a global campaign titled #EmbraceTheChange to put an end to violence against women and girls all across the world.
Avon has introduced a push around the unspoken violence women worldwide face. Titled #EmbraceTheChange, the global exercise sheds light on various forms non-physical abuse to include cyber-bullying, coercive control, emotional abuse, and street harassment.
Spanning six million Avon representatives, the effort aims to reach 100 million via social media content, charity alliances, and events. The film series will run until December, with key campaign partners including Women’s Aid, Vital Voices, and La Casa del Encuentro.
The initiative is based on research conducted by the Avon Foundation for Women, which surveyed 14,400 women in 15 countries. The study shows the extent to which victims feel unsafe within their communities and unprotected by their own legal institutions.
Key findings indicate that one in five women globally feel unsafe, rising 47 and 51 percent in South Africa and Turkey respectively. Sixty percent believe sexual abuse claims are taken seriously, falling 48 percent in Peru, while only 58 percent trust the legal system to work, falling 45 percent in Turkey.
Meanwhile, 59 and 58 percent in Argentina and South Africa trust the law to treat violence as a crime. Trust rates are lower for non-physical abuse, with only 27 percent in Russia and 38 percent in Turkey believing psychological abuse would be treated as criminal, compared to 77 percent in Colombia.
“Our campaign challenges people to think about their behaviour, what’s wrong, and how to change it. Awareness is a critical first step. We are sharing this movement across our community of six million representatives and their social networks worldwide,” said Jan Zijderveld, CEO of Avon Products.
View the Avon campaign series here:
