Avon Launches Programme to End Violence Against Women

Avon's Programme to End Violence Against Women aims to breakdown the wall of silence around gender-based violence.
Avon's Programme to End Violence Against Women aims to breakdown the wall of silence around gender-based violence.

Avon has launched its Programme to End Violence Against Women, which aims to breakdown the wall of silence around gender-based violence.

The program also extends to its associates, through the global Gender Based Violence (GBV) Protocol, which provides access to leave if required to deal with a situation or facilitate conversations with managers or HR partners.

Ambassadors are trained by Avon's global GBV NGO partner Vital Voices to recognize the signs, have safe conversations and signpost to local NGO support. 

Avon will be partnering with No More, to deliver further training for ambassadors and improve awareness among associates.

Maxine Chapman, GBV Ambassador in the UK, adds: “I have been through this and I know how hard it is to reach out. I’m proud to be an Ambassador to help those who need it. The training with Vital Voices, and then additionally in the UK with Women’s Aid, was insightful, informative and fundamental to me providing the best support for others while safeguarding myself.”

Marta Gamba, GBV Ambassador for Italy shares: “At Avon, we support women no matter what and our goal is to ensure that they never feel alone. There is still a lot to do around gender based violence and being able to be the point of reference to report abuse for my colleagues makes me feel useful and proud. Thinking that you can be of help to some other person is a great privilege. I have had great support from wonderful women throughout my life and being able to help even one of them is the greatest achievement for me.”

Nkgokeng Phetla, GBV Ambassador for South Africa, shares: “For me gender based violence isn’t just something physical. It’s about feeling too frightened to say ‘no’, it’s about being isolated from all your friends, it’s having your self-worth destroyed, it’s believing everything is your fault, it’s being constantly invalidated, it’s looking in the mirror and being unable to recognize yourself. Most importantly it’s knowing that with all this, that’s not how your story ends. This is what I’d really like our associates to know, to know the signs of domestic abuse for themselves and for them to have the willingness to help others where help is needed.”

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