Supporting survivors of domestic violence

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) in the United States. Our partner, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is joining forces with allies across the country to start a coordinated national conversation about this often hidden form of violence. The campaign, #Every1KnowsSome1, aims to highlight how common domestic violence is and how it extends far beyond physical violence.

According to the World Health Organization, worldwide, almost 1 in 3 women between the ages of 15 – 49 have reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner. It can affect any woman, regardless of race, socio-economic background, nationality, sexual orientation, or any other classification.

Women's Aid survivor ambassador Natalie speaks about her experience.

Through partnerships with national specialist organizations in 4 countries, the Kering Foundation supports survivors to escape from violence and rebuild their lives:

• The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), based in the US, works to make domestic violence a national priority, to change the way communities respond to it, and to strengthen efforts against domestic and sexual violence.
• Women’s Aid, is a grassroots federation providing life-saving services in England to end domestic abuse against women and children, for over 45 years.
• Donne in rete contro la violenza (D.i.Re), is a network of independent women’s shelters and centers (Centri Antiviolenza) in Italy that offers counselling and support services to survivors.
• La Fédération Nationale Solidarité Femmes (FNSF), founded in the 1970s, is comprised of 73 organizations across the country that provide support and shelter to women survivors and their children. Among Solidarité Femmes’ key contributions is the 3919, the French national helpline for domestic violence, which offers listening, information and guidance to at-risk women, as well as friends and family members.

In addition to partnerships with national organizations, the Kering Foundation also supports grassroots initiatives that work with survivors of domestic violence in local communities. One such example is FreeFrom (supported via our partnership with the Women’s Foundation of California), an LA-based organization dedicated to creating financial security and long-term safety for survivors of domestic violence.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can find a list of more tools and resources here

Creating a safe and supportive work environment at Kering

Although domestic violence occurs in the private sphere, it has an impact on the professional lives of survivors, their colleagues and on the workplace as a whole. It is key for women survivors to maintain their employment and financial independence.

For these reasons, Kering has developed a policy on domestic violence that provides all of its employees around the world with the specific support they need. The completely confidential package of support measures includes assistance provided by specialist organizations, as well as a specific leave, adjustments to an employee’s working conditions (changing the location, introducing flexible working hours, etc.), and other financial assistance.

Jacqui Kilburn, Women’s Aid trainer highlights the importance of understanding the impact of domestic violence on the workplace and training teams on how to respond effectively

The Kering Foundation also works to raise awareness and train the Group’s staff on domestic violence. Designed in partnership with national specialist organizations, the 3-hour trainings are available to all employees in France, Italy, the UK and the US, in order to explore the cycle and impact of domestic violence, deconstruct stereotypes and give an understanding of the role a company can play in supporting survivors. Participants also learn how to refer a colleague experiencing violence to the Foundation’s specialist organization partners.