Our Beauty in Colour associate resource group (ARG) is a global community of associates championing ways to make Avon more diverse and inclusive. Local chapters across the Avon world are doing amazing things to influence positive change, including the recent launch of the UK’s Beauty in Colour Start Up competition for women of colour.

Founding group member, Nicole Scott, Senior Brand Manager, tells us about her role in establishing the group, and what we can all do to be more inclusive.

Hi Nicole, can you tell us a bit about your Avon journey?

I joined the Avon US marketing team in 2011. Since then I’ve held various positions in local, regional and global marketing, across all beauty categories in the US and UK.

Avon’s culture was completely different to other companies I’ve worked for within the beauty industry. It’s refreshing to be part of a company where people are at the heart of the brand.

You’ve been a driving force in establishing a Beauty in Colour associate resource group. How did you go about it?

I was previously an active member of a dynamic resource group with a mission to promote inclusion and raise awareness on intersectionality.  

This resource was missing at Avon. The more recent global events that have highlighted societal injustices left me tremendously hurt and I felt that fellow associates could be feeling this way too.

Together, we created a space for associates to feel safe to share their stories and thoughts, as well as build an agenda for us to improve areas of the business at Avon. Already there’s been an outpouring of energy and passion from our people, ready to roll up their sleeves to make impactful change.

What sort of initiatives have you been working on in the group already?

There’s so much energy around the launch of the Beauty in Colour Start Up, a competition that strives to create equal opportunities. Women of Colour are underrepresented in beauty – from investment to product accessibility. This competition will provide a pathway for women and really elevate Avon’s efforts to raise the bar, challenge ‘norms’ and be a pioneer for inclusion. The competition is open for entries until 23 December 2020, so if you identify as a woman of colour and want to be the next big beauty boss, please do check it out!

Twenty years from now, how will you recall this extraordinary moment in time?

I’ll remember the passion and energy from the individuals who make up this group. We work collaboratively to find ways to improve our business and society. We all have a vision and desire to make change and we’re doing it. It’s beautiful to see.

I have a 2 year old son. I’d like to hope that the steps we’re all taking today will help shape a more fair, inclusive and beautiful world – for all of our children’s future.

What is the one thing we can all do to be more inclusive?

To me, promoting inclusion doesn’t mean promoting ‘superiority’ of any specific group – whether based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or beyond.

Inclusion to me means that everyone has access to the same chance and ability to ‘have a seat at the table’, regardless of their background. We can all be more inclusive by first recognising our privilege. We all have it to various degrees, and it shows up as opportunities we’re afforded and discriminations we don’t have to endure.

Maybe your privilege is a benefit of your gender or the colour of your skin, or perhaps it is because of your socio-economic background or the country you were born in. There’s nothing wrong with privilege, but it is up to each of us to identify it, along with inequalities against those being marginalised, and then decide to use our privilege to help others.

For more on Avon’s Beauty in Colour Start-Up click here.