London, 2017-Nov-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — Running from 20 to 25 November, the Kering Foundation’s 6th annual White Ribbon For Women campaign will be led by Alessandro Michele, Stella McCartney, Christopher Kane, Joseph Altuzarra, Dennis Chan, Salma Hayek Pinault and other renowned influencers. Centered around a digital movement #ICouldHaveBeen and new website ICouldHaveBeen.org, the campaign aims to raise awareness of violence against girls and women amongst the general public, specifically Generation Z, by asking them to imagine their lives as HER; the 1 in 3 girls and women who are victims of violence.
Via ICouldHaveBeen.org, the Kering Foundation will ask those not born a girl to imagine who they could have been, by entering the name their parents would have given them if they were born a girl into the website – or alternatively another female name of choice. Similarly, girls will be asked to unite in a show of sisterhood and solidarity with survivors, by all taking on HER as their name and challenging males in their entourage to join the campaign. Subsequently, users will discover the violence they could have experienced as a girl, and are invited to share this across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and WeChat. Although one cannot understand what survivors experience without having lived through gender-based violence oneself, via I Could Have Been the Kering Foundation aims to draw attention to the higher risk of violence girls and women face – simply for being born female.
As this year’s official ambassadors – Alessandro Michele, Christopher Kane, Joseph Altuzarra and Dennis Chan – will kick-start the Kering Foundation’s call to action by unveiling the names their parents would have given them if they were born as girls. Kering Foundation Board Directors, Stella McCartney and Salma Hayek Pinault, will likewise lead the campaign by calling on all girls and women to join them in becoming HER.
The Kering Foundation will also collaborate with young influencers from across the globe – such as Leonardo Decarli in Italy and Z.Tao in China – who will feature in the campaign alongside the Maisons’ artistic directors. Through a series of short films, these young males will discover who they could have been if they were born a girl and in turn call on youths to join the #ICouldHaveBeen movement. Despite boundaries on gender and equality opening (89% of Generation Z say girls and boys should have the same rights[i]) and progress on women’s rights (the fifth Sustainable Development Goal dedicated to gender equality), violence against girls and women remains a persistent transgenerational epidemic (1 in 10 girls worldwide aged 15 to 19 experienced forced sex in the past twelve months[ii]). The central objective of this year’s campaign is thus to engage younger generations, specifically Generation Z and Y, in order to provoke a deep and sustainable change in mentalities, behaviors and cultures.
François-Henri Pinault, Chairman & CEO of Kering, and Chairman of the Kering Foundation, said of the campaign’s launch, “Being born a girl should not equate to a higher risk of violence. Yet, unfortunately, it is the case in our world today. We all could have been born a girl, we all must take on this combat. A combat I am proud to confront together with the Kering Foundation, our Houses and their designers via our sixth annual White Ribbon For Women campaign.”
About Kering
A global Luxury group, Kering develops an ensemble of luxury houses in fashion, leather goods, jewellery and watches: Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Brioni, Christopher Kane, McQ, Stella McCartney, Tomas Maier, Boucheron, Dodo, Girard-Perregaux, Pomellato, Qeelin and Ulysse Nardin. Kering is also developing the Sport & Lifestyle brands Puma, Volcom and Cobra. By ‘empowering imagination’, Kering encourages its brands to reach their potential, in the most sustainable manner. The Group generated revenue of €12.385 billion in 2016 and had more than 40,000 employees at year end. The Kering share is listed on Euronext Paris (FR 0000121485, KER.PA, KER.FP)
About Kering Foundation
Launched in 2009, the Kering Corporate Foundation combats Violence Against Women. To enhance its global impact, the Foundation focuses on one cause in each of the following three regions: Sexual Violence in the Americas; Harmful Traditional Practices in Western Europe (France, Italy, United Kingdom); Domestic Violence in Asia. In addition, it pays particular attention to the situation of migrant and refugee women. The Kering Foundation supports NGOs’ projects, social entrepreneurs and awareness campaigns while involving the Group’s 40,000 employees.
About White Ribbon for Women
Launched in 1991, the White Ribbon movement commenced following the Montreal Massacre where a male student of École Polytechnique University massacred 14 of his female classmates telling them “you have no right being here (in education).” It encourages the promotion of gender equality, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity in order to bring about a cultural shift to a future without violence against women. In 1999, the United Nations declared 25 November the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, with a White Ribbon as its symbol. In 2012, the Kering Foundation launched its own White Ribbon For Women campaign, with board director Stella McCartney redesigning the White Ribbon, in order to bring further attention to the cause.
Press Contacts
Emer Hallahan
+33 (0)1 45 64 63 07
emer.hallahan@kering.com
Carly Newman
+33 (0)1 45 64 65 58
carly.newman@kering.com
Hashtags
#ICouldHaveBeen
#KeringForWomen
#WhiteRibbon
Websites
www.ICouldHaveBeen.org
www.KeringFoundation.org
www.Kering.com
Social media
Twitter: @KeringForWomen @KeringGroup
Instagram: @kering_official
Facebook: KeringGroup
LinkedIn: Kering
Youtube: KeringGroup
Source: Kering Group
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