cosnova says NO - united to end violence against women

For over two decades, cosnova and its brands essence and Catrice have been on a mission to "Make everyone feel more beautiful". The cosmetics company's long-standing commitment to women and girls is now being complemented by a large-scale social initiative: cosnova is making a donation of 100,000 Euros to the Union of German Zonta Clubs to help women affected by violence.

The money will be channelled into a fund for women's shelters. In addition, the company is launching an awareness campaign entitled "cosnova says NO - united to end violence against women" from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The title is inspired by the international campaign "Zonta says NO".

It costs up to 100 Euros per person per day to stay in a women's shelter. Women who do not receive social benefits, such as students, working women and some refugees, have to pay the costs themselves. If they cannot afford it, the women's shelter may have to turn them away. cosnova's donation of 100,000 Euros is intended to help women who fall through the cracks. The money will go into a fund that will allow them to stay at the shelter. The non-governmental organisation (NGO) Zonta is supporting cosnova in this endeavor.

Proceeds from nail polish sales go towards the donation

Inspired by the UN Women “Orange the World” campaign, which has been drawing attention to violence since 1991, cosnova is also making orange the colour of "cosnova says NO – united to end violence against women". 10 cents from every orange essence or Catrice nail polish sold worldwide from January to September 2023 will go towards the donation. "In our discussions with Zonta and affected women, we realised that education and raising awareness of the problem of gender-based violence are just as important as financial support," explains Astrid Haury, Senior Manager Corporate Responsibility at cosnova. "That's why we want to help break the taboo surrounding violence against women and girls and give visibility to those affected. We are very grateful to have found such a strong, committed and experienced partner in Zonta."

"Combating and preventing violence against women is a task for society as a whole," says Katja Kamphans, President of Zonta Germany. "We must finally take a closer look, talk about it and consistently stand by those who are affected. This is the contribution that each and every one of us can make. The fact that cosnova is making such a generous donation and is also taking a clear stand against violence against women, both internally and externally, is exemplary. We are very grateful to cosnova and are delighted about this partnership."

Comprehensive communication platform against violence

The awareness campaign kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. As part of the United Nations' “16 Days of Activism”, cosnova will generate as much attention as possible on all available corporate and brand channels until 10 December, which is Human Rights Day. There will be a Content-Hub on the cosnova website with relevant information, expert voices and links to offers of help. cosnova reaches around eleven million people worldwide – many of them women – with its strong brands essence and Catrice via social media channels. There, cosnova will provide information about the various forms of violence and offers of help and enter into dialogue with the communities. Well-known personalities such as Sarah Bora, co-founder of the #dienächste initiative, have also joined cosnova as ambassadors for its communication activities.

cosnova employees create awareness campaign

As part of the campaign, 21 women and men from cosnova were also photographed wearing orange nail polish in powerful poses – and taking a personal stand against violence against women. "The impulse to take a stand against violence against women and girls came from our employees. We immediately decided that as a company that reaches so many women every day, we wanted to take action. The response and commitment of our colleagues from the most diverse departments has been incredible," says Yvonne Wutzler, Chief Marketing Officer at cosnova, describing the overwhelming involvement of the workforce.

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