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2nd Annual Avon Communications Awards

In recognition of International Women’s Day, Avon Foundation for Women Ambassador Salma Hayek Pinault awarded four global organizations and one government campaign with the 2nd Avon Communications Awards: Speaking Out About Violence Against Women for their outstanding work to bring attention to the need to end violence against women.

The awards, presented at the United Nations Headquarters during the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, are part of the Avon Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program, which has donated nearly $50 million globally to end violence against women since its launch in 2004.


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Awards

An international panel of judges selected the winning campaigns from more than 425 communications submitted to the Communications X-Change by 119 organizations in 46 countries, ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

The X-Change, a digital global communications library funded by the Avon Foundation and managed by Futures Without Violence, enables organizations and advocates throughout the world to find, share, and learn from the best communications material focused on ending violence against women and children.

See all the Campaigns
below on the
Communications X-Change

The winning organizations, which will each receive an Avon Foundation grant to fund the continuation of their work, are:

Innovative Campaign Award

Winner: “Take back the Tech!” by Bytes for All (Pakistan)
Communication medium: Posters

This campaign seizes upon the spread of technology in Pakistan to help strengthen women’s use of technology to raise awareness about Violence Against Women by using online tools. The campaign also strategically involves important public figures from judges to movie stars using social media to spread the word to “take back the tech.” The print and online communications materials pave the way for young women to use these online technology tools, often off-limits in Pakistan, to make their voices heard.


Category Finalists:

Break The Silence Award

Winner: “Champion Project” by Engender Health (Tanzania)
Communication medium: Video

The “Champion Project” video is part of a five-year effort to engage men in Tanzania by increasing their involvement in preventing the spread of HIV through addressing the underlying gender issues and power imbalances in sexual relationships. The video aims to turn men from bystanders to champions with its key message, “Violence is everyone’s problem. Be a role model. Earn respect by standing up to violence.”


Category Finalists:

Community Change Award

Winner: “Voices – Samajhdari” by Equal Access (Nepal)
Communication medium: Radio program

Involving community members as writers, reporters, radio technicians and commentators, “Voices — Samajhdari” by Equal Access enables women to be agents of their own change — reshaping community attitudes through their own messages that resonate with their closest neighbors and throughout Nepal. This weekly 30-minute radio program directly integrates voices from rural communities in audio collected by 12 female 'community reporters' who are themselves survivors of violence, able to discuss topics and issues that otherwise would be consider off-limits.


Category Finalists:

Global Award For Excellence In Communication

Winner: “Strong Women, Strong Voices” by PCI – Media Impact (Peru)
Communication medium: Radio program

The “Strong Women, Strong Voices” radio program—using radio, a favored medium particularly in rural communities—skillfully weaves together stories using language accessible to both Spanish-speaking and indigenous women that dramatizes the stories of women overcoming prejudice, abuse and sexual violence. Radio and storytelling is very adaptable, but real impact comes also from an organization with both a strong infrastructure and well-analyzed and realized strong theory of change.


Category Finalists:

X-Change Award For Outstanding
Government Communication

Winner: “Stop Violence” by State Service for Youth and Sports & International Women’s Rights Center ‘La Strada’ (Ukraine)
Communication medium: Posters/Videos

The Government of Ukraine, working with the UN and NGOs, leveraged the 2012 Euro Football Cup to field a large campaign aimed at men to use communications to raise social awareness of the need to end violence against women. In this “Red Card” poster, the Ukrainian singer Ani Lorak speaks a soccer fan’s language to advocate against sexual violence. Recognition of this campaign highlights the important development of coalitions of government, the UN and NGOs working collaboratively for greater impact across society.


Category Finalists: