Silence hurts. What can we do?

Don’t think this isn’t your problem. Gender-based violence can happen to anyone. Globally, cases of domestic violence are thought to have increased by 20% during the pandemic. 1 in 3 women experiences physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime.

Living and working in different countries around the world, I’ve met many women in difficult situations with limited options. These stories and experiences deeply touched my life and defined my sense of purpose.

I once met a woman who married young, had no education and no parental support. When her husband was violent, she had nowhere to go and no way to provide for her kids. So she stayed and endured the increasing violence in her home, hoping things would change.

Another woman I met had a good education and a decent job – but she’d lost all her friends because her partner said they weren’t good enough for her. Then she lost her family too, because apparently they didn’t have her best interests at heart like he had. Then she lost the freedom to go out, as he said it was too dangerous for her to go outside without him… Before she knew it, his claim to love her had become her personal prison. She stayed, worried about the shame of leaving and what people would say.

There are millions more stories like this. Have you heard similar stories? What would you do? What did you do? How can we do more together as business leaders?

We must speak out! We must raise awareness that even if you are isolated – you are not alone. There is help out there. At Avon we’ve donated more than $80 million to NGOs, funding helplines and shelters to help anyone who needs it..

We’re now doing more with a new GBV Protocol for employees, which sets out how we support any employee experiencing abuse, including a network of specialist support services and access to paid leave where needed. The Protocol is part of our broader work to speak out and to show how important this issue is to us.

I’m proud that Avon is spearheading this movement. What inspires me is the commitment I’ve seen– as soon as the policy was announced, people from across the organisation volunteered to act as ambassadors to support their colleagues experiencing violence at home. It’s humbling to see this support in action.

If you, as business leader, are interested in adopting a GBV Protocol for your workplace, I invite you to get in touch – we want to share our policy far and wide, and encourage others to join us. Let’s stand against violence, offer support and speak out, together.