by To promote its fight against intimate partner violence (IPV), Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Beauty has partnered with Dr. Michael Kaufman, a speaker and author who supports the role of men and boys in promoting the gender equality, and gender equality advocate Dr Gary Barker. , to release a new thought leadership piece on how to engage men and boys to help end IPV.
YSL Beauty launched its global program against IPV for the first time, called Abuse Is Not Love, in 2020. The program aims to tackle the issue at all levels, including training co-workers and on advisers; support partners and local non-governmental organizations in training and programmes; engage in thought leadership; and educating the public through the media about the warning signs of abuse and how to access resources and support.
Dr Kaufman, co-founder of the White Ribbon campaign, and Dr Barker, CEO of research organization Equimundo, have released a white paper as part of the partnership to explore ideas on how to engage men on the subject of IPV and investigate do. the impact of this type of violence on men as survivors, complex bystanders, and/or perpetrators.
IPV is defined as any behavior within an intimate relationship, whether married, unmarried or cohabiting, that causes physical, psychological or sexual harm to those in that relationship. According to Refuge, one in four women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime and on average, one woman is killed by an abusive partner or ex-partner every five days in England and Wales .
Many women spoke out about their own experiences of IPV and domestic abuse. Recently, Paralympian Tracy Otto, who will compete in the 2024 Paris Paralympics as part of the USA archery team, opened up about how she was attacked in her home by an ex-boyfriend in 2019. The attack left her paralyzed from the chest. down and she also lost her left eye.
Abuse Is Not Love aims to draw attention to the big issue of that violence, and the campaign believes that it is vital that men get involved in the fight against it.
The problem is the rise of misogyny
The paper comes as the UK grapples with how to tackle the growing problem of misogyny. In July, the National Police Central Council (NPCC) described the problem of online influencers radicalizing young men and boys as a “national emergency”.
The NPCC published a report on violence against women and girls which found that at least one in 12 women in England and Wales would be a victim of violence each year, which equates to around two million women.
Influencers such as Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed “misogynist” with nearly 10 million followers on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, play a major role in the radicalization of boys and young men. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper pledged earlier this month to clamp down on “harmful and hateful beliefs” online, including bigotry.
Research by University College London, the University of Kent, and the Association of School and College Leaders has shown that social media algorithms amplify extreme content, including hateful ideologies and misogynistic tropes.
The researchers found that the level of insensitive content on the ‘For You’ page of TikTok accounts quadrupled over five days on the platform. They emphasized the need to include boys in conversations about online misogyny and recommended “peer-to-peer” mentoring to address the issue.
What prevents men from joining the fight against misogyny?
Speaking to Yahoo UK, Dr Kaufman explains the complexities of the barriers that prevent men from taking a more active role in the fight against male violence against women (MVAW).
“First of all, there is a lack of knowledge among boys and men about how extreme and how bad [the problem of IPV] yes. It is a problem that is often hidden in the home,” he says. “The second issue is that there are many sympathetic men who admit that there is a problem, but prefer to remain silent because ‘it is not it’s a question of whether they’re committed or not. the violence.
“But because of our silence, we are allowed to continue the violence. Let’s face it – men are still the laws that make the laws; speaking from the pulpit; making up the prime numbers in police forces and on judge’s benches .the ones that boys look up to when it comes to setting an example of what a man is.
In their white paper, Dr Kaufman and Dr Barker highlight research carried out by Equimundo which showed that young men are “fully aware of online and in-person sexual harassment of girls as well as homophobic bullying towards male peers but often they don’t talk about them. fear of the consequences for themselves from their peers”.
In our silence, we have allowed the violence to continueDr. Michael Kaufman, co-founder of the White Ribbon Project
“Especially when we are young, it is the fear of isolation, fear of being the next victim, if not physical abuse, at least verbal abuse, that keeps some men silent,” a says Dr. Kaufman. “Getting men and boys to speak out against IPV is a real challenge.”
To empower men to speak out against MVAW and IPV, they need opportunities to have open and authentic conversations about these issues so they can be aware of what is going on around them.
It’s important for boys and men who want to talk to know they’re not alone, says Dr. Kaufman. It is also vital that they find their voice.
“Some men are able to intervene physically, but others may not have that confidence or ability. But then it’s about finding the words and keeping your eye on things. It’s the most important thing is that you have to do something, you can’t. Whether it’s using humor to diffuse a situation or drawing attention to it by asking someone in authority for help, these are important actionable things that can to make men.”
What is YSL Beauty’s Abuse Is Not Love programme?
Juleah Love, global head of brand corporate engagement at YSL Beauty, founded Abuse Is Not Love. She tells Yahoo UK that the topic means a lot to her as a way to ensure that the brand continues to promote women’s independence and freedom – keeping up with Yves Saint Laurent’s own legacy.
“When we started building the program, it became clear that violence against women is one of the main issues for women around the world. When we started diving into the topic, IPV emerged as the rarest type -reported, underfunded and most widespread of the 25 forms of violence against women,” explains Love.
“The program first started to change the company internally, with how we train people, how we develop policies, how we support people within the company. Then we started partnering with local non-profits in each market to help support their activities on the ground.”
YSL Beauty’s Abuse Is Not Love partnerships with local nonprofits are key to driving change, says Dr. Kaufman. “It’s not just a top-down approach, it’s working from the bottom up. When you combine the global reach of YSL Beauty and the bottom-up approach with local organizations, along with other initiatives out there that work to support women’s shelters, parenting programs, and public education with men and boys, we can begin to make a difference.
“Violence against women is not eternal. It is a problem that you and I and all of us can solve.”
Free and confidential support is available from Refuge’s 24 hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 and digital support via live chat Monday to Friday 3-10pm via nationalhelpline.org.uk.
Anyone who suffers domestic abuse, including survivors of past abuse, can get help from Victim Support – whether or not it’s been reported to the police. A visit victimsupport.org.uk where you can get in touch via Live Chat or by calling the charity’s 24/7 support line on 08 08 16 89 111.
Women’s Aid, by similar helplines availablealso there is information on how you can help your children, making a safety planand what to do if you are worried about someone else.
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