Roberto Marques honoured at 2021 Voices of Solidarity Awards

At Avon, we’ve been speaking out to end gender-based violence since 2008 and championing women to overcome the challenges they face for 135 years. As part of the Natura &Co family, together we have a vision that brings our purpose and sustainability mission to life, the ‘Commitment to Life’. Together, we are devoted to one of its core three pillars to ‘respecting human rights and being human kind’ and commit to tackle inequality and to work with organisations around the world tacking gender-based violence.

This week, we were proud to see Executive Chairman & Group CEO of Natura &Co Roberto Marques recognised by our longstanding partner Vital Voices in the eighth annual voices of Solidarity Awards.

The awards celebrate men who have demonstrated extraordinary courage and conviction in advocating on behalf of women and girls worldwide. Marques’ award recognises the longstanding partnership with Avon through Voices of Violence: the Gender-Based Violence Global Initiative (VAV). The ten year plus initiative is dedicated to ensuring that survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) have better access to the services, protection and justice and has reached over 2.3 million people in over 70 countries to date.

Speaking at the ceremony in New York City, Roberto Marques shared: “It’s my utmost pleasure to be recognised as an honoree and to join the incredible group of recipients who have come before me. Through these awards, we bring visibility to gender-based violence, one of the greatest human rights violations of our time, which for far too long has prevailed in silence.”

He continued, “Yet the nature of this issue means there’s still much more to be done. At its core, gender-based violence is rooted in gender inequality. Without financial freedom, women are more vulnerable to domestic violence. This is why we know it’s crucial to help women to build their own businesses to be financially independent. Through our brands, women can embrace an alternative to the traditional 9-5 work life, establishing and running their own businesses in their own way, built around their life stages, careers and ambitions, to achieve financial independence.

“Our business is powered by women all over the world –from the scientists and innovators that create our award-winning products, to our employees that keep the business running, and the millions of Representatives who sell our products. We know that a better world for women is a better world for all.”

To find out more about Avon’s commitment to ending gender-based violence click here.