In partnership with Hollaback!, L'Oréal Paris develops initiative to train one million people in bystander intervention to tackle street harassment*
TORONTO, March 4, 2020 /CNW/ - L'Oréal Paris Canada today announced a global commitment to address street sexual harassment through the development of a bystander training program – Stand Up Against Street Harassment. In partnership with Hollaback!, a non-governmental organization (NGO) co-founded by Emily May in 2005, both organizations reaffirm their commitment to ending street sexual harassment and transforming the culture that perpetuates the behaviour and discrimination.
"L'Oréal Paris stands for empowerment in every walk of a woman's life. By removing obstacles preventing women from fulfilling their ambitions, we are committed to elevating their sense of self-worth," said Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, Global Brand President of L'Oréal Paris. "With Hollaback! and other local NGO partners, we are committed to creating a world for girls and women to march confidently forward into a future free from street harassment."
An international survey was recently conducted in partnership with Ipsos, researchers from Cornell University and L'Oréal Paris, on experiences of sexual harassment in public spaces - as both victims and witnesses. The study investigated harassment on a large scale through online interviews with 15,000 individuals, across eight different countries representing a diversity of societies and cultures. The findings of the study indicate a staggering 48 per cent of Canadian respondents identified sexual harassment as the number one issue facing women and girls in our country. Equally alarming, 78 per cent of women globally, have experienced sexual harassment in public spaces; only 25 per cent of victims say someone helped and a shocking 86 per cent of participants worldwide did not know what to do when witnessing an incident occur. The results from this study affirmed L'Oréal Paris' determination to stand up for the self-worth of all women and counter street sexual harassment in their everyday lives.
On Sunday March 8, 2020 - International Women's Day, L'Oréal Paris will launch the Stand Up program in five countries**, with a roll-out in six additional countries planned for later this year, to drive awareness of street harassment with a call-to-action on a global scale. Through a dedicated training website: standup.lorealparis.com, Stand Up will grow a global community of 1 million upstanders, trained in the 5D's: Direct, Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, the expert-approved bystander intervention training program pioneered by Hollaback!. Bystander intervention is the term for witness action to defuse situations and make public spaces safer. To build this global movement, Stand Up will take its training into the heart of local communities in partnerships with key NGOS, working for gender equality in each country.
"How many of us look the other way because we simply don't know how to help?" said Emily May, co-founder and executive director of Hollaback. "We're partnering with L'Oréal Paris to train people around the world – individuals of all orientations, origins and generations, with simple tools they need in their everyday lives to first recognize and then to intervene. We have the power to really transform this issue and together end harassment and make the public space safe for girls and women."
Embodying its revolutionary and famed signature phrase "I'm Worth It," L'Oréal Paris has developed multiple brand initiatives dedicated to breaking down the barriers that prevent women from fully believing in and realizing their self-worth. Leveraging its' global reach, the Stand Up movement takes the brand's support for women into the public space by tackling the intimidating behaviours that impact girls' and women's very sense of freedom to move through the world.
Visit standup.lorealparis.com to join the movement against street sexual harassment.
About L'Oréal Paris
L'Oréal Paris, the world's no.1 beauty brand, is dedicated to empowering women and men by offering the most luxurious and innovative products and services available in the mass market. For most, the name "L'Oréal" is immediately evocative of the brand's signature phrase, "Because I'm Worth It."— the tagline behind the legendary advertising campaign for the Superior Preference® hair colour launch in 1973. Today, it represents the essence of the L'Oréal Paris brand as a whole, a spirit which is about helping every woman – and man - embrace their unique beauty while reinforcing their inner sense of self-worth. For more than 100 years, L'Oréal Paris has held an unparalleled commitment to advancement in technology, innovation and research, providing ground-breaking, high-quality products for women, men, and children of all ages and ethnicities in five major beauty categories: cosmetics, skincare, hair color, haircare, and men's grooming.
Twitter: @lorealparisCAN
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* Ipsos – International survey on sexual harassment in public spaces. L'Oréal Paris. April 2019 |
** France, Spain, Argentina, Canada, United States of America |
Study Methodology This survey was carried out by Ipsos for L'Oréal Paris in eight countries across the world: Canada, France, India***, Italy, Mexico, Spain, UK, USA. In each of the countries surveyed, 2,000 people, comprised of 1,250 women and 750 men, were interviewed. In total, 15,500 people were interviewed from February 5, 2019 to February 27, 2019. Interviews were conducted online. |
***1,500 face-to-face interviews in India |
SOURCE L’Oréal Paris Canada
Alexandra Scarlato, rock-it promotions, inc. at [email protected] or 416.656.0707 ext. 123; Winston Ma, rock-it promotions, inc. at [email protected] or 416.656.0707 ext. 109
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