Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE:AVP) Foundation has pledged £2 million on causes that seek to help women suffering from violence. About half of the donation will be used in four countries. These countries include the United Kingdom, Romania, South Africa, and Argentina. The rest will be given to a non-profit that helps women seek legal recourse against the perpetrators of violence against them.

Speaking out

The donation by Avon is part of the company’s commitment to end domestic violence as well as offering support to survivors around the world. It also marks the unveiling of a new worldwide campaign by Avon that seeks to focus on various issues that are important 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,” said the CEO of Avon, Sheri McCoy.

Avon is an International Women’s Day official partner and has pledged commitment to lending its voice to causes that fight domestic violence. Additionally, Avon has also partnered with Refuge, a charity in the United Kingdom that works to prevent and fight domestic violence. The two entities have also collaborated on conducting a study on coercive control that is especially prevalent among women in the ages of 16 to 21. From the findings of the study, a new campaign will be initiated with a view to preventing this form of abuse.

Local insight

Avon is not a new entrant in the field of promoting causes that are important to women as it has been doing so for more than a century. The organization has therefore gathered various insights in the various countries it has worked in.

New research conducted, for instance, shows that 42% of students in Brazilian universities were afraid of violence being meted against them in their academic environments. In Romania, on the other hand, it was discovered that there was a dearth of role models who were in healthy relationships and this was a problem for young adults as there was a lack of positive role models to emulate. Also, more than 60% of teenagers had witnessed a verbal or a physical abuse incident involving a couple.

On Monday, shares of Avon Products Inc fell by 0.46% to close the day at $4.33.