RADAR ALERT: Avon Sales Reps and Reese Witherspoon Hurting Women Worldwide?

Recently, Hollywood's highest-paid actress Reese Witherspoon became Avon's lead spokesperson promoting a "women's empowerment bracelet" in support of enacting the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA).1

Avon is a financier of International Women's Day and promoter of UNIFEM, a radical NGO section of the United Nations focused on "empowering women".2,3,4

"Empowering women" and "violence against women" are two entirely different issues with two entirely different agendas.

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I-VAWA is based on factoids fabricated through a technique that has been dubbed the "woozle effect" by noted family violence researcher Richard Gelles who is Dean of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice.5 As such, it is dangerous federal legislation intended to directly finance an autonomous, independently-funded division of the United Nations operated by radical social activists whose scope of activism goes well beyond reasonable interests in reducing family violence. I-VAWA would change the world by inflicting America's flawed Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on the rest of the world, before Congress reforms the program to help women and families.

Reese Witherspoon, Avon sales representatives, and customers need to think very carefully about what they are supporting doing business with Avon. Supporting radical political change that has hurt more American women than it has helped is certainly not a smart decision:

• VAWA has had no positive impact on domestic violence in America,
  and places women at greater risk of subsequent violence.6
• VAWA programs are rife with fraud, corruption, and misuse of federal funds.7
• VAWA may be increasing partner abuse.8
• VAWA programs make men fear women and marriage.9
• U.N. and UNIFEM attempts to promote gender-based advocacy approaches have been denounced by women around the world.10 In 2006, the U.N. Third Committee unanimously rejected the Secretary General's Report on Domestic Violence after RADAR discovered that the
  report's primary basis, a UNFPA "study", was a grossly-inaccurate advocacy survey conducted by a marketing research firm that was never published in any peer-reviewed journal.11,12,13
• Despite the fact that women are just as likely as men to commit serious acts of spousal violence,14 85% of the 2-3 million ex-parte restraining orders issued annually are issued against men, and half of all restraining orders are issued without any allegation of physical abuse.15
• Reliable research shows about half of all rape allegations are false. A false rape allegation is likely to destroy the family of other women and place children of the alleged perpetrator in poverty.16
• In India, VAWA-like laws transmitted via the U.N. are under attack by Indian women who have "been disempowered and whose basic human rights are being violated by the police and judiciary in the name of women's rights, protection and empowerment".17

How You Can Help

1. Find your local Avon representatives by entering your zip code on Avon's "Find Sales Representative" page (http://shop.avon.com/shop/find_a_rep.asp). Many of the representatives have their email or phone number listed under the "Contact Me" link. You can get the address and contact the rep directly, or send them an email and the rep will email you back.
2. Forward this alert to them. Please assume that the representative is unaware of the problem. Teach them about the issues and get their support. Suggest the Representative take this up with Avon, and consider taking more aggressive measures if Avon does not listen.
3. If you are an Avon customer, refuse to purchase anything from Avon until they stop forcing radical social agenda on America and the rest of the world.
4. Forward this alert to your friends and ask them to help change Avon for the better.

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1 http://shop.avon.com/shop/product_list.asp?couponCode=&level1_id=300&level2_id=380

2 http://shop.avon.com/shop/landing/IWD_site/2008_IWD_site.html

3 http://shop.avon.com/shop/landing/global_summit_2008/2008_global_summit.html

4 http://shop.avon.com/HelloTomorrowFund/

5 I-VAWA (S. 2279): Foreign Policy Based on a Woozle?; http://mediaradar.org/docs/RADARflyer-IVAWA-Foreign-Policy-Based-on-a-Woozle.pdf

6 VAWA is Not Helping Women, Report Shows, RADAR, February 5 2007; http://mediaradar.org/alert20070205.php

7 Unaccountable DV Programs Misuse Tax Dollars; Place Victims at Risk, RADAR, March 10, 2008; http://mediaradar.org/alert20080310.php

8 RADAR Report Shows DV Programs May Worsen Partner Abuse, RADAR, October 9, 2007; http://mediaradar.org/alert20071009.php

9 VAWA, I-VAWA, and CEDAW: Why Men Now Fear Marriage, RADAR, March 5, 2007; http://mediaradar.org/alert20070305.php

10 Women Denounce the UN Violence Study, RADAR, Nov 9, 2006; http://mediaradar.org/alert20061109.php

11 UN Violence Report: Three Strikes and You're OUT!, RADAR, Oct. 30, 2006; http://mediaradar.org/alert20061030.php

12 Feminist Takeover of the U.N. is an Issue of National Security, David R. Usher, Nov. 23, 2006; http://www.newswithviews.com/Usher/david38.htm

13 U.N. Rejects Report on Violence Against Women, David R. Usher, Nov. 30, 2006; http://www.newswithviews.com/Usher/david39.htm

14 Research, RADAR, http://mediaradar.org/research.php#waj

15 Almost Anything Now Counts as Domestic "Violence," Report Finds, RADAR, Sept. 6, 2006. http://mediaradar.org/alert20060906.php

16 Beyond Duke: About Half Of All Rape Allegations Are False, RADAR, Apr. 27, 2007; http://mediaradar.org/alert20070423.php

17 Women Against Misuse of Women-Protection Laws, Uma Challa, March 5, 2008; http://uchalla.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/women-against-misuse-of-women-protection-laws-2

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Date of RADAR Release: March 17, 2008

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R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting – is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org/.