YSL Beauty has partnered with influential thought leaders to launch a paper exploring new ways for men to address intimate partner violence (IPV). The collaboration with White Ribbon Campaign co-founder Dr. Michael Kaufman and Equimundo CEO Dr. Gary Barker marks the latest step in the brand's global efforts. Abuse is not love The program began in November 2020.
“Fighting for women's liberation and independence has always been part of the brand's DNA,” says Julia Love, head of global brand corporate engagement at YSL Beauty, who has spearheaded the program from the beginning.
She explained that the founder of the house was the first designer to design a women's tuxedo called “Le Smoking.” “Mr. Saint Laurent wanted to see women empowered, liberated and living life.”
“We wanted to carry on and honour that spirit by contributing to the change of our time,” she said. “IPV is one of the main factors that holds women back from becoming liberated and independent.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly one-third of women aged 15-49 who have ever been in a relationship have experienced IPV.
Abuse is not love: The Pillars
The campaign's solution-focused approach consists of four main pillars aimed at raising awareness of the issue in order to effect change at both a global and local level: According to Love, the key is to destigmatize talking about abuse and demystify the topic, all of which is backed up by accessible resources.
The pillars are in-house training and education, support for local NGOs, thought leadership support and public education.
YSL Beauty has already educated its entire team (around 9,000 people globally) in all 37 markets on workplace safety measures and localized HR policies, including everyday issues like granting time off, finding a new apartment, opening a bank account, etc. Love says it's important to start the education process from within, as one in three women will experience IPV in their lifetime, and statistically, employees themselves are affected.
Abuse is Not Love also supports local NGOs in 30 markets around the world. In France, for example, we partner with En avant toute(s), an organization that promotes gender equality and fights gender-based and anti-LGBTQIA+ violence, by funding the development of their anonymous online chat service, available from a few hours a day to seven days a week. In the UK, we work with Women's Aid to fund young educators in schools and provide a tool kit for national education organizations.
A dedicated website, Abuse Is Not Love, spreads the word about the program through videos from ambassadors like Zoe Kravitz and comprehensive 15-minute training on the warning signs of a physically or psychologically abusive relationship. It also provides links to local organizations mentioned above, which have trained or supported over 911,000 people worldwide. The goal is to educate 2 million people by 2030.
Thought Leadership
Love says the idea helps fill a particular gap in research: The first paper, published in the Harvard Business Review, explained how IPV is an issue in the workplace, while the second focused on understanding abusive relationships within the LGBTQ+ community.
Because women bear the overwhelming burden of IPV, this latest work by Kaufman and Barker focuses on practical ways to engage adolescent and adult men on the issue.
Experts say programmatic and intersectional approaches include group education, hotlines, law reform, police and judge training, research, intervention programs for violent men, and broader advocacy efforts. “Father transformation” and parental equity, including expanded paternity leave and counseling, are also essential.
All of this not only impacts individual men, but can also impact organizational culture, especially when it touches multiple cultures, sexual orientations, religions, gender identities, economic classes and personal experiences.
The overarching aim is to challenge underlying sexist beliefs that may breed violence, while at the same time recognising vulnerabilities and health issues that may trigger individuals to act.
While they support condemning violence, in Developing the “whole man” through allyship, collaboration and individual accountability within organizations is how we drive change.
Conclusion
Beyond the media campaign and resources, YSL Beauty has committed more than $4.25 million in direct funding from the program's inception through the end of 2023. “Brands have a responsibility to use their platform to address social issues,” Love said, noting that beauty consumers are traditionally a highly engaged demographic.
Other well-known beauty groups and brands with corporate social impact programs include Estée Lauder and NYX: The Estée Lauder Company's Breast Cancer Campaign, launched in 1992 with the launch of the Pink Ribbon, supports organisations around the world, while the L'Oreal Group's NYX Cosmetics supports global LGBTQIA+ organisations such as the Los Angeles LGBT Centre and France's MAG Jeunes LGBT+.
“Brands are becoming more than just economic entities; they are part of an evolving society,” Love concludes.