Four years ago in March 2010, The Avon Foundation partnered up with Vital Voices and the U.S. Department of State to launch the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Women. The private-public partnership was created to reduce violence against women through delegations in 15 different countries worldwide. Since it’s launch, the delegations have been able to work through and overcome cultural realities and barriers.
Last week, Avon Foundation’s Global Ambassador Fergie helped announce an important new initiative – The Gender-Based Violence Emergency Response and Protection Initiative. The first of it’s kind, this global program is devoted to providing victims of extreme gender-based violence with immediate assistance. Comprehensive steps are taken to give short-term emergency grants to cover expenses for medical care, emergency shelter, legal assistance and any other related costs.
One of the most important implementations the initiative is bringing is The Justice Institute on Gender-Based Violence. All too often there are existing laws that are not commonly known nor understood and therefore are not effectively implemented. These Institutes will be created as a training program for law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, government officials and NGO advocates. As Fergie put it, “The new Justice Institute on Gender-Based Violence is designed to ensure that laws achieve their promise. It will go even further to protect women who are victims of violence and secure justice for them.” Amen to that!