#IAMASUPPORTER in partnership with Avon and NO MORE

Throughout the world’s biggest men’s football event, Join Avon and NO MORE to Say #IAMASUPPORTER of Ending Domestic Abuse

What does the World Cup mean to you? Excitement and pride – or fear of your partner?

This year, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence coincides with the world’s biggest men’s football event. For many, such sporting events are a time of great camaraderie, community, and national pride. But for those in an abusive relationship, it can also be a dangerous and fearful time. Regardless of winning or losing, domestic violence cases can increase by 26% ^[1] .

Make no mistake. Football doesn’t cause domestic abuse, and it is never an excuse. But just like COVID lockdowns or the holiday season or alcohol consumption, the tournament can aggravate or exacerbate pre-existing abusive behaviours.

1 in 3 women globally experiences abuse in their lifetime ^[2] – statistically, we all know someone who has experienced or is currently experiencing abuse, so all of us can make an impact in tackling gender-based violence.

That’s why Avon and No More have joined forces to encourage fans around the world to say #iamasupporter of ending domestic abuse. We’ve developed resources with information on the signs of abuse and how to support friends or loved ones who may be experiencing it, during the World Cup and beyond.

Our social media campaign, running throughout the World Cup, highlights matches each day and directs people in those countries to a toolkit that they can safely and easily download. The toolkit not only helps to increase understanding of domestic violence, but it also offers information on what to say to someone you know who is experiencing abuse and what you can do to help them.

It can be challenging to know what to say, what to do, and how to ensure their safety. By downloading the #iamasupporter toolkit, we can all be more prepared. We can listen without judgment and offer practical support, from a safe space to store important documents to a professional helpline.

Understanding more about domestic violence, and raising awareness is crucial to helping to end it. Join us during the World Cup and beyond, to say #iamasupporter of ending domestic abuse. Every conversation, every share on social media, and every download of the toolkit is a winning goal against gender-based violence.

[1] UK National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) data The research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the dataset included 1678 respondents (1312 female and 366 male) reporting domestic violent crime. Lancaster University, 2013.

https://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp1781.pdf

[2] Global, regional and national estimates for intimate partner violence against women and global and regional estimates for non-partner sexual violence against women was developed by WHO and the UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP) for the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence Against Women Estimation and data: 2018

https://www.who.int/news/item/09-03-2021-devastatingly-pervasive-1-in-3-women-globally-experience-violence