NEW YORK, Mar 12, 2009 / FW/ — According to statistics, one in three women worldwide experience violence in their lifetime1, and in the U.S., a woman is assaulted every nine seconds. And, currently the most famous victim of domestic violence is pop star Rihanna with none other than her boyfriend Chris Brown as her alleged attacker.
Sad as the situation maybe for Rihanna, she is actually one of the lucky ones who are getting help.
Around the world, services for victims are often vastly underfunded or unavailable, and in many countries, laws to protect women do not exist or are not enforced.
In response, the Avon Foundation for Women, with award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon launching the new global mobilization efforts, announced March 3rd meaningful new efforts to eradicate violence against women and help ensure justice for all women worldwide.
This included a $1.5 million grant by the Avon Foundation for Women to launch the Avon Global Center for Women and Justice at Cornell Law School. This new center will focus on working with judges, legal professionals, governmental and non-governmental organizations to improve access to justice in an effort to eliminate violence against women and girls.
Avon also expanded its relationship with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) with a new commitment of $250,000 for the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, which will be added to the grant of $1 million awarded in 2008 for the Trust Fund. This brings the total Avon global commitment to ending violence against women to over $14 million to date.
“For over 120 years, Avon has provided women with economic opportunity while serving as a change agent for critical issues that face women worldwide,” stated Andrea Jung, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Avon Products, Inc.
“Lack of financial resources and lack of personal safety are two reinforcing, co-dependent crises. We are so proud to help bring attention to eradicating violence against women and improving access to justice for women and girls, and to award new grants that will help launch initiatives to change lives around the globe,” Jung added.
Reese Witherspoon, award-winning actress, Avon global ambassador and honorary chairperson of the Avon Foundation for Women, also unveiled the 2009 Women’s Empowerment Necklace. Accessibly priced at just $5.00, wherein all net proceeds of the Necklace will support domestic violence programs, building upon the $4 million already raised by the 2008 Women’s Empowerment Bracelet in one year.
The necklace will be sold through Avon’s Sales Representatives and on www.avon.com.
“Nearly a billion women worldwide are affected by violence,” explained Reese Witherspoon. “The Empowerment Necklace is an easy way for all women to take action and demonstrate solidarity to reduce the worldwide epidemic of violence against women. As Honorary Chair of the Avon Foundation, as a woman, and as a mother, I am proud to support this effort.”
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