PARIS — As a French luxury group Kering celebrates its 60th anniversaryits charitable branch revealed on Wednesday that it was extending the scope of its actions to the fight against violence against children.
Created in 2008, the Kering The Foundation focused on combating violence against women. During this time, she has supported 1 million women survivors and 100 organizations around the world.
“In 2008, we knew that to protect women from violence, we also had to protect their children. During our 15 years of action, we have also learned that protecting and caring for children is a fundamental lever for preventing violence in adulthood,” declared François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, in a press release.
“Today, it seems natural and above all necessary to commit to focusing on both levels to strengthen our impact. More than ever, this area of intervention and those who work in it need major support to break not only the taboo surrounding this issue, but also the cycle of intergenerational violence,” added Pinault, who is also president of the Kering Foundation.
At an event in Paris on Tuesday, the executive thanked partner non-governmental organizations and cultural institutions for their continued support. “The responsibility of large groups like Kering must not and cannot stop at the bottom line of their balance sheet. As large groups, we have extraordinary influence and that is why we must be part of the solutions to the major problems of our society,” he said.
The foundation cites figures suggesting that child sexual abuse and incest, like gender-based violence, are extremely widespread and affect all cultures and social classes. According to the World Health Organization, one in five women and one in ten men have been victims of sexual abuse in their lifetime. In 80 percent of cases, it is incest, it is specified.
The foundation began supporting child victims of abuse in 2019. It already works with La Maison des Femmes, a reception program of the French hospital system that welcomes women from Paris and its region, and Face à l’Inceste, a French child. protection association dedicated to the fight against incest.
He also partnered with the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault and its DOT (Dream, Own, Tell) Project, which addresses sexual violence against adolescents from marginalized communities.
At the same time, Kering announced that it would change the status of its corporate foundation to an endowment fund, a move intended to give it and its brands, which include Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga — greater flexibility to raise and allocate funds.
Balenciaga and the Kering Foundation revealed in February that they had partnered with the National Children’s Alliance for a three-year program. Balenciaga sponsored a billboard in New York’s Times Square last week to raise awareness of the US-based association.
This partnership follows the advertising scandal at the end of 2022 which saw the French fashion house, the creatives involved in the visuals and even its famous fans engulfed in a wave of indignation.
