Kering reinforces its action and impact in the fight against gender-based violence

15 years after the creation of the Kering Foundation to combat violence against women, Kering is extending its commitment to include addressing violence against children, in particular sexual violence.

With the creation of its foundation in 2008, Kering was a trailblazer in its commitment to society. Today, by extending its scope of action to the fight against childhood sexual violence, Kering wishes to continue to lead the way in lifting the veil on a reality that is still largely taboo.

Sexual violence against children and incest - like gender-based violence - are extremely widespread. It affects all cultures and all social classes. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men have been sexually abused in their lifetime. In 80% of cases, incest is involved. In Europe, about 1 in 5 children are victims of some form of sexual violence according to a report released by Child Global.

Children are also direct and/or indirect victims of domestic violence: in France, in 2022, 118 women were killed by their spouse or ex-spouse, along with 12 children. In the UK, 1 in 5 children have lived with an adult perpetrating domestic abuse.

Over the past 15 years, the Foundation has worked closely with partner NGOs. These exchanges have enabled it to refine its strategy for combating violence where it takes root. We have seen and heard that those who have suffered violence in childhood are statistically more likely to experience or perpetrate it in adulthood. The support provided by NGOs is key to helping women and children survivors live a life free from violence.

We have also seen that outcomes are not pre-determined. Cycles of intergenerational violence can be broken by combating violence from the earliest age, both through prevention initiatives and through appropriate care for victims and survivors.
In 2019, the Foundation began working on the intersection of violence against women and violence against children by joining forces with various initiatives:

• support for the opening of a new unit dedicated to intrafamilial sexual violence at La Maison des femmes de Saint-Denis, with the organization Face à l'Inceste;
• partnership with Make.org's "Grande Cause pour la Protection de l'Enfance", which led to the development of a chatbot for 10-14 year-olds, run by the NGO En avant toute(s);
• collaboration with Louie Media to broadcast the podcast "Ou peut-être une nuit", created and presented by Charlotte Pudlowski, to introduce the topic of incest to new audiences in France, listened to over a million times;
• support for the *New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault and its Project DOT (Dream, Own, Tell), which organizes prevention activities around sexual violence for teenagers from marginalized communities.

Furthermore, to amplify its commitment and facilitate collaboration with its Houses, other companies or other foundations, as well as to raise funds, Kering is changing the status of its Corporate Foundation to that of an endowment fund. Faithful to the model established since its creation, this fund will continue to prioritize the partnership and the co-development of long-term programs with a limited number of local organizations.

"In 2008, we knew that to protect women from violence, we needed to also protect their children. Over the course of our 15 years of action, we have also learned that protecting and caring for children is a fundamental lever for preventing violence in adulthood. Today, it seems natural, and, above all, necessary to commit ourselves to focusing on both levels in order to strengthen our impact. More than ever, this area of intervention and those who work in it need major support to break not only the taboo surrounding this issue, but also the cycle of intergenerational violence", declared François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering.

Over the past 15 years :

• The Kering Foundation has supported 1 million women survivors and 100 organizations around the world.
• 100,000 young people have participated in violence against women awareness-raising workshops.
• More than 40,000 professionals have been trained to provide tailored services to women survivors.
• 43 companies have been mobilized to take action against violence against women