Portraits of courage

There Ruffa Gutierrez is, lighting up the hall with her glowing beauty and effervescence. Today, the young actress faces the cameras as the star of her own real-life drama. As the Avon spokesperson for its Speak Out Against Domestic Violence campaign, Ruffa tells the whole world that she, too, was a victim of domestic violence. For this Avon Speak Out Against Domestic Violence: A Photo Exhibit by Raymund Isaac at the SM Mall of Asia Activity Area, Ruffa joins many others, showbiz or non-showbiz people, who have chosen to speak up, whether they’re victims or not.

Cases of domestic abuse are pathetically oh-so-common. We read about battered women in the papers as we bite into our buttered toast in the morning. Indeed, abuse is a much used word these days.

But at long last, women are speaking out and standing up for themselves. And there to help these women fight their battles and champion their cause, thus empowering them, is Avon, a leading corporate supporter of noteworthy causes, like stopping domestic violence.

To dramatize this campaign, Avon, now in its 125th year, teamed up with top fashion photographer Raymund Isaac who got celebrities to grace his photos, speak out, pique our curiosity, and prick our societal consciousness on this bruising issue.

“Nearly a billion women worldwide are affected by violence. The mission of Avon’s Speak Out Against Domestic Violence campaign is to end family and gender violence. As Avon is the company for women, dedicated to the empowerment of women globally, fighting domestic violence is a cause that’s front and center on Avon’s philanthropic radar,” says Avon Philippines general manager Mike Gudgin.

Also lending their faces and voices for a cause are TV host Boy Abunda, comedienne Ai Ai Delas Alas, fashion designer Amina Aranaz-Alunan and husband Rafa Alunan, movie actresses Mylene Dizon and Janice De Belen, singer Eric Santos, and models Wilma Doesnt, Koby Parcell, and Amanda Griffin-Jacob, among others.

Isaac’s gritty and witty handling of this touchy subject shows women not so much as victims but as empowered women. The visual irony is, the images may look funny in pictures but certainly not in real life.

“Domestic violence is a situation, not a problem,” Isaac boldly asserts. “And there’s always a solution to a situation. You just have to stand up. And if you can’t, there are a lot of people who are willing to help you.”

For starters, Avon went out to raise funds from the sale of the SSS Soft & White Cellulite Minimizer last month. Proceeds from the sales will benefit Avon’s four partner NGOs — Women’s Crisis Center (WCC), Ima Foundation, G-Wave, and Luna — to help with their existing programs and services that support this critical issue.

Speaking of the Women’s Crisis Center, it is the first ever crisis center in the country which offers a comprehensive range of crisis intervention services for survivors of gender-based violence. It provides critical services, including emotional support and feminist counseling, referrals for health and medical needs, legal assistance, shelter, and other support services.

When these victims of domestic violence decide once and for all to speak out and bolt out of the hellhole that used to be home sweet home, the Women’s Crisis Center is there to give them a temporary refuge and a helping hand. The Center makes available safe and short-term refuge to survivors who have security risks, limited resources or have nowhere else to go to escape an abusive situation. It offers intervention programs, crisis intervention counseling program, and survivors’ support program. It organizes group work, empowerment workshops, capability building, and educational activities for survivors.

The WCC lifelines are: 922-5235 , 926-7744.

 Ima (Pampango term for mother) Foundation uplifts women’s level of awareness and facilitates their access to alternative education and training.

The Ima lifelines are: (045)624- 6050, 625-8199, 323-4750.

LUNA (Legal Resource Center for Women and Children, Inc.) is the product of the dedicated efforts of five women and children rights-based institutions: Talikala, Inc., Tambayan, Center for Children’s Rights, Bathaluman Crisis Center, Inc., Mindanao Working Group, and Kabataan Consortium. Among its goals is to increase the number of lawyers who are gender-fair, knowledgeable, and skilled in the promotion and protection of women and children’s rights; raise the level of interest and capability of law students, development workers, and other advocates on relevant laws concerning women and children; improve access to holistic, proactive, timely, effective, and appropriate legal assistance and similar services to marginalized women and children.

A picture speaks a thousand words: Avon Speak Out Against Domestic Violence, A Photo Exhibit by Raymund Isaac at SM Mall of Asia

The Luna lifelines are: (082)306-5761.

G-WAVE (Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation) is a DSWD-accredited non-government organization assisting women and girls who are victims of gender-based violence.

The G-Wave lifelines are: (035)422-8405, 09152593029, 0999 5766679.

Up with women! Down with domestic violence!

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