Standing together for at risk women and children

Can you believe that for many women, staying at home is their most dangerous option? One in three women around the world experience domestic abuse. The isolation and social distancing measures required to prevent the spread of the coronavirus have an unintended consequence of trapping women at risk with an abuser.

We believe in beauty on the inside as well as the outside – beauty means confidence and dignity. A lipstick cannot cover a bruised soul.

Already, we have seen an increase in rates of domestic violence during the pandemic. In China in February, the number of calls to domestic abuse hotlines tripled compared with the same month last year[1], while in Malaysia they have doubled[2]. In Argentina, since the lockdown on 20 March, emergency calls for domestic abuse have increased by 25%[3] and in the UK, data from Refuge, a front-line domestic abuse organisation, shows a 25% increase in hotline calls and 150% increase in visits to their website since the beginning of the outbreak.

Home should be a place of safety. We cannot and will not allow women and children in abusive situations to be the forgotten victims of the coronavirus pandemic.

We must all do what we can to stop domestic abuse. Avon recently launched Isolated not alone, a campaign to raise awareness of the increase in domestic violence during the coronavirus pandemic and signpost where help is available. Our message: even though you are isolated, you are not alone. 

We’ll ask our global network of million Representatives and their customers to raise their voices so we can all speak out for those at risk and in need of support. The Avon Foundation for Women has committed $1m to NGOs providing front-line services, so women and children at risk can find safety and support.

As part of the Natura &Co family, we’re working with our sister brands Natura, The Body Shop and Aesop, to ask governments and legislators to support women and children at risk by funding key services, raising awareness of the issue and lifting restrictions on domestic abuse survivors who cannot self-isolate at home.

It is inspiring to see so many individuals, companies and communities united during these uncertain times to speak out against domestic abuse. Together, we can make a difference for at risk women and children.

[1] Domestic violence cases surge during COVID-19 epidemic, Sixth Tone: https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1005253/domestic-violence-cases-surge-during-covid-19-epidemic

[2] UN chief calls for domestic violence ‘ceasefire’ amid ‘horrifying global surge’, UN News: https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061052

[3] Issue Brief: COVID-19 and ending violence against women and girls, UN Women: https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/04/issue-brief-covid-19-and-ending-violence-against-women-and-girls