Avon launches campaign fighting violence against women

Avon is shining the spotlight on the impact of violence on women with a new campaign.

The beauty giant has unveiled #EmbraceTheChange, a global awareness campaign exploring various forms of non-physical abuse experienced by women globally, including cyber-bullying, coercive control, emotional abuse and street harassment. The initiative comes days before the UN's 16 Days of Activism program against gender-based violence launches on November 25.

#EmbraceTheChange will aim to reach 100 million men and women, highlighting the different forms that abuse can take, and informing victims of how to get support.

"Avon's new #EmbraceTheChange campaign challenges everyone to think about their behavior and spread the word about what is wrong, and how we can all help change it," said Jan Zijderveld, CEO of Avon Products Inc., in a statement. "Awareness is a critical first step towards creating a world where women can live free from the fear of violence. Reaching men and women is vital, and we'll be sharing this campaign across our community of 6 million Representatives, and their social networks globally."

The campaign follows research carried out by the Avon Foundation for Women, which surveyed 14,400 women in 15 countries and found that one in five women globally do not feel safe in their communities, and that only 60% of women believe that claims of sexual abuse would be taken seriously in a legal context.