Gender-based violence is a human rights violation and a serious crime that knows no boundaries. According to the United Nations, nearly 1 in 3 women around the world experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, and we know that everyone has an important role to play in addressing this global epidemic.
In order to help put an end to gender-based violence, we must work together to be a part of the solution.
Today, in honor of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, we are announcing additional new partnerships that span five continents and sixteen countries to support survivors and help prevent gender-based violence. We’re providing an additional $2.5M in funding to Non-Profit Organizations to help prevent sexual violence before it starts.
Watch Tracey Breeden’s Interview: Here
- Latin America: We are partnering with ACTO to raise awareness of gender, power dynamics, and sexual harassment among driver-partners. We are also expanding our partners to include Fundacion Sobrevivientes in addition to our existing partners Equis Justicia, Fondo Semillas, Igarape Institute, Instituto Patrícia Galvão, DeFEMde, and Promundo.
- Europe: In the UK we are partnering with UK SAYS NO MORE to help educate the Uber community directly in-app.
- Africa: In South Africa we are participating in a televised panel discussion, hosted by Soul City and includes other industry leaders, to discuss gender-based violence and the benefits of working together to help provide positive change and/or protection.
- Australia and New Zealand: We are expanding our partners to include TOAH-NNEST, New Zealand’s National Network for Ending Sexual Violence Together, in addition to our existing partners WESNET (Women’s Services Network), Sexual Abuse Prevention Network (SAPN), and Australia Says No More.
- India: We are scaling our gender sensitization workshops that we started in 2018 to over 50,000 drivers in partnership with the Manas Foundation across India.
Through these grants, we’ll be able to support programs and services that advance opportunities for women, while raising awareness of gender-based violence.
In 2017, we announced Driving Change – our commitment to help address gender-based violence. We partnered with members of courageous, thought-leading organizations like RAINN, NO MORE, and Women of Color Network Inc. We also made important changes within Uber and committed five million dollars to fund sexual violence prevention programs. Since then, we have expanded this effort by building partnerships with leading organizations around the world to leverage our scale and scope to help drive awareness and societal change.
We all can play a role in helping end gender-based violence. Here are some helpful tips and actions developed in partnership with NO MORE:
- Break the silence: Lack of understanding and an unwillingness to speak openly about gender-based violence plays a large part in why these problems persist. In order to end the shame and stigma that survivors are burdened with, we need to start by listening to their stories.
- Stand up, Don’t Stand By: We all play an important role in looking out for each other’s safety and stepping in to help prevent violence before it starts. Check out these tips on how to intervene when you see something.
- Start by believing: One of the best ways to support someone in your life who tells you they’ve been sexually assaulted is just listen to them without judgment, doubt, or blame. Here’s how you can help in the moment.
- Educate your friends & family about consent: As one of many steps to change the way our culture views sexual assault, and to help prevent it from happening, we need to have frank discussions about consent. Learn the facts, and get the conversation going.
- Spread the word: Show the world that you stand against gender-based violence starting on November 25! Wear orange and share a message of solidarity on social with #orangetheworld and #16days and tag one of our many partners below.
Additionally, we have made a number of safety product updates within the app to help give riders and drivers peace of mind and set the standard for safety in the rideshare industry. In September, we announced new features such as on-trip reporting, if you are feeling uncomfortable during a trip, text to 911 as an extension of the in-app emergency button where available, and a new way to verify your ride with a unique PIN code that drivers have to input in order to start their trip.
To learn more, you can visit uber.com/safety/womens-safety.
Our full list of international partners by country include:
Read Full Article Here: https://www.uber.com/newsroom/end-gender-based-violence-together/