- Avon calls for an end to pejorative words and phrases used to silence women
- Campaign urges women to reclaim stereotyped language and be proud to speak out and share their stories
- Avon pledges $10 million to support women’s issues across the globe
Avon, the company for women, has launched a campaign calling on men and women worldwide to #SpeakOut and put an end to pejorative words and phrases used to silence women.
Launched ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8th, the campaign is in response to growing evidence of a gender divide, with the World Economic Forum’s 2020 report highlighting that gender parity is 99.5 years off.
Through conversations with its network of five million representatives, Avon has discovered words in different languages and cultures that are used to describe, criticise and negatively stereotype women. For example, being called ‘Lippy’ in English, ‘Vorlaut’ in German, or ‘Mandona’ in Spanish, to name but a few.
Avon’s campaign, which will run throughout 2020, calls on people to share their stories and the words and language they want to reclaim by posting a proud, lippy selfie on their social media channels, using the hashtag #SpeakOut. In addition, Avon will collate these stories, creating a global gallery celebrating women’s stories from across the world.
Avon has also pledged to donate $10 million in 2020 to important global causes, including education, gender violence and breast cancer. The donation builds on Avon’s long-standing commitment to women across the world, helping them to lead safe and healthy lives. Avon and the Avon Foundation have raised and donated over $1bn to date supporting NGOs across the world.
Initiated over Avon’s social media channels across the world, the campaign will be a platform for women of all backgrounds to share their stories, celebrate and be inspired by others.
To kick start the campaign, Avon Justine has partnered with Forbes Magazine as part of its International Women’s Day campaign. The partnership will be highlighted through the 2020 Forbes Leading Women Summit that will take place on 6 March.
With an expected audience of 1,000 leading women, the 5th edition of this annual event is set to be yet another impactful gathering. Bringing together influential women from across industries and professions, the event aims to spark ideas and inspire attendees through hard-hitting and relevant talks, fireside chats and insightful panel sessions around our 2020 theme: “The Ceiling Crashers 2.0: Power with Purpose”.
The Speak Out campaign, which will run throughout 2020, will culminate with the first Avon #SpeakOut Awards in November. The awards will recognise individuals and organisations who have helped women find their voices or shared the stories of those who are not able to share their own.
For more information about the Avon Speak Out campaign, or to upload your story, please visit avonworldwide.com.