The power of women: #SpeakOutListenUp

As the world turned orange for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Avon Representatives, teams and partners showed the power of women by sharing the message to #SpeakOutListenUp.

1 in 3 women worldwide are affected by gender-based violence.  It is an epidemic – but one that is shrouded in silence.  This year, Avon aimed to empower survivors to share their stories and called on the world to listen.

Avon Poland used wordplay to change the phrase “violence against women” into “power of women”.  By crossing out unnecessary letters, the campaign drew attention to what can be done to recognise and tackle gender-based violence.  Avon Poland has also launched “Avon Alert” – the very first app in Poland that allows women to report acts of violence and receive support in a safe and discreet way. Over 16,500 users visited the website in first week.

In Turkey, Avon created a rap song and video with a famous singer-songwriter, Çağrı Sinci, which shares a first-hand account of domestic violence and forced marriage.  The song describes how lonely these experiences can be, with a message of solidarity: “I stand next to you”.

Avon Argentina took a different approach: using an actor to tell a story of witnessing sexual harassment in the workplace.  A man describes how he has seen the inappropriate behaviour of a colleague yet has done nothing, eventually realising that as a witness to sexual harassment, it is his problem too and he has a duty to report it.

In the UK, Avon produced a video about Rachael Slack, who was murdered by her ex-partner.  Since her death, her sister-in-law Melony Slack has been a tireless campaigner to tell Rachael’s story and encourage other women in abusive relationships to seek help.  Avon UK and local partner Refuge also developed a lipstick in Rachael’s memory, called Feisty, with 50% of sales going to Refuge.

Avon believes that amplifying the voices of women and girls is crucial to breaking the silence and the cycle of violence.  Our Promise to Help End Violence Against Women and Girls sets out our commitment to this important cause.  While the 16 Days of Activism are over, we will continue to raise awareness of violence against women and girls – what it is and what you can do.