LONDON, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Avon
Foundation for Women, the world's largest corporate-affiliated
philanthropy focused on issues that matter most to women, has today
pledged its largest single donation, nearly £2 million, for female
victims of gender-based violence. £1 million of these funds
will be granted across four countries, Argentina, Romania, South
Africa and the UK, to help front-line domestic violence
services.
In addition, a nearly £1 million grant to Vital Voices
Global Partnership will support The Justice Institute on
Gender-Based Violence, an innovative training program which aims to
facilitate effective coordinated criminal justice responses to
addressing violence against women in countries around the world.
This donation forms part of Avon's
commitment to ending domestic violence and supporting survivors
worldwide, and marks the launch of a new global Avon campaign focused on a range of issues of
importance to women over the coming years.
Combating global domestic violence
As an
official partner of International Women's Day, Avon is committed to speaking out against
domestic violence and supporting the #BeBoldForChange global
initiative. In the UK Avon has joined forces with Refuge, the UK
charity committed to a world where domestic violence is not
tolerated. Together Avon and
Refuge have carried out an in-depth study that looks at a recently
recognised area of coercive control, particularly impacting women
aged 16 - 21, and the findings will form the basis of a new
campaign to shift the dial on this type of abuse.
Globally, Avon has been
addressing the social issues that matter most to women for over 130
years. The new UK research reflects wider insights gathered
across other countries in which Avon is active. In Brazil, a recent study found that 42% of
university students feared being the victim of violence in an
academic environment. In Romania,
new insights found that young adults struggle to find healthy
relationship role models, and two thirds of teenagers said they had
witnessed a physical or verbal violent episode between a
couple.
[The new research will be shared with an influential audience
made up of global experts and stakeholders working to combat
domestic violence at an event at Somerset House in London on Monday 6 March. The event and
adjoining exhibition celebrates the collective efforts of
Avon, its Representatives,
partners, associates, consumers, and supporters around the world
that continue to fundraise and raise critical awareness for its
causes.]
Funding commitments
Since Avon was founded more than 130 years ago, the
company has been breaking barriers and empowering women by offering
a path to financial independence and improved health and
safety. This year's International Women's Day focuses
on the #BeBoldForChange initiative, and as part of this, Avon
Foundation for Women's global commitment includes:
- The Avon Foundation's grant of £1 million for front-line
services in the UK, South Africa,
Romania and Argentina*. In the UK, this includes a grant
of £250,000 to Refuge** to support its front-line services, which
will fund the equivalent of over 4,800 nights in a refuge for a
woman and her children.
- Globally, nearly £1 million in new funding will expand The
Justice Institute on Gender-Based Violence, an innovative training
program within Voices Against Violence – a public-private
partnership between Vital Voices Global Partnership, the U.S.
Department of State, and the Avon Foundation for Women – which aims
to facilitate effective, coordinated criminal justice responses to
addressing violence against women in countries around the
world.
- The Justice Institute is a ground-breaking initiative which
convenes judges, court officers, prosecutors, law enforcement
officers, representatives of government agencies and
non-governmental service providers with the aim of making the laws
keep their promise. Through its multi-disciplinary training style,
the Institute fosters collaboration between allied professionals
and seeks to improve both victim protection efforts and criminal
justice responses to violence against women around the world.
- To date, the Avon Foundation has invested more than £2 million
to launch and convene 10 Justice Institutes in eight countries
including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico, Nepal, Philippines and South Africa.
Sheri McCoy, Avon CEO
says, "To date, Avon and the
Avon Foundation for Women have contributed more than $1 billion to the causes that matter most to
women. This new landmark donation from The Avon Foundation builds
on a legacy of work to speak out against domestic violence and
support victims around the world. Since 2004, the Avon
Foundation's Speak Out Against Domestic Violence initiative has
been a powerful voice for women, with programmes in 50 countries.
We've already served 11 million women, educated 29 million about
domestic violence, and contributed nearly $60 million to empowerment programs.
This new donation expands our impact further the will make a
significant difference to NGOs supporting women in need of
help."
Notes to editors
*The markets of South Africa,
Romania and Argentina are in the process of selecting
their charity to work with as part of the #BeBoldForChange
initiative
**The donation of £250,000 to Refuge is the largest one off
corporate donation that Refuge has ever received.
About Avon Products, Inc.
Avon is the Company that for 130
years has proudly stood for beauty, innovation, optimism and, above
all, for women. Avon products
include well-recognized and beloved brands such as ANEW, Avon
Color, Avon Care, Skin-So-Soft, and Advance Techniques sold through
nearly 6 million active independent Avon Sales Representatives.
Learn more about Avon and its
products at www.avoncompany.com.
About Refuge
Refuge opened the world's first refuge in Chiswick, West London, in 1971. Since then it has grown
to become the country's largest single provider of specialist
support to women and children escaping domestic violence and other
forms of gender based violence. On any given day Refuge supports
almost 5,000 women and children.
Refuge's national network of specialist services include: safe
emergency accommodation through refuges in secret locations across
the country; community-based outreach services; culturally specific
services for women from South Asian, African and Caribbean, Eastern European and Vietnamese
backgrounds; independent advocacy services for women at the highest
risk of serious injury and homicide; a range of single point of
access services for women, children and men across entire regions;
and the Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run
in partnership with Women's Aid.
Refuge also runs award-winning public awareness campaigns,
advises governments and was voted 'Charity of the Year' 2016 at The
Charity Times Awards.
For more information please visit www.refuge.org.uk or follow
Refuge's work on www.facebook.com/RefugeCharity and Twitter
@RefugeCharity.
Avon Foundation for Women
Avon is a global corporate leader
in philanthropy focused on causes that matter most to women.
Through 2016, Avon and the Avon
Foundation for Women have contributed over $1 billion in over 50 countries. Avon global philanthropy programs focus on
funding breast cancer research and advancing access to quality care
through the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, and efforts to reduce
domestic and gender violence through its Speak Out Against Domestic
Violence program. Avon's global
markets sell special products to raise awareness and funds for
breast cancer and domestic violence, conduct hundreds of events for
these causes, and educate women around the world through its global
army of nearly six million Avon
Representatives.
About Vital Voices Global Partnership
The leading non-governmental organization that identifies, invests
in and brings visibility to extraordinary women around the world by
unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and
accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities. Founded in
1997 by former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, the organization trains and mentors women leaders
as agents of transformative change in economic development, human
rights and political participation.
About Voices Against Violence: The Global Gender-Based
Violence Initiative
A public-private partnership between Vital Voices, the U.S.
Department of State's Office of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labour, and the Avon Foundation to address all forms of
gender-based violence through short-term financial support to
victims of extreme violence who are in urgent need for technical
assistance and training.
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SOURCE Avon Products, Inc.