New IPSOS Research Uncovers 50% of Women in the U.S. Think That Women Are Sometimes Responsible for Being Harassed

NEW YORK, April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — This International Anti-Street Harassment Week, L’Oréal Paris reveals the results of its new study, conducted with Ipsos, revealing how street harassment negatively impacts women’s self-worth. As a brand committed to empowering women, L’Oréal Paris is on a mission to combat the impact of street harassment through its Stand Up Against Street Harassment program, in partnership with International NGO, Right To Be. Stand Up aims to raise awareness around safety and provide trainings backed by research, which reinforce how the fight against street harassment is more prevalent than ever. Trainings are easily accessible through the Stand Up website so people can find the resources needed to intervene in future incidents whether witnessing or experiencing harassment.

The latest Ipsos survey uncovered how street harassment has a negative impact on women’s lives:

• New IPSOS research uncovers 50% of women in the U.S. think that women are sometimes responsible for being harassed.
• All over the world, 80% of women have already experienced sexual harassment in a public space at least once in their lives.* And for 52% of respondents, there is a belief that women are sometimes to be blamed for situations of sexual harassment in public spaces due to their attitudes, behavior, or appearance.**
• 47% of women have personally experienced sexually suggestive or intrusive comments or jokes about their appearance, clothing, anatomy or looks in a public space.
• To avoid these types of situations, 60% of women adapt their clothing or appearance in public spaces.

“Those figures are meaningful and show how street harassment hinders women’s intrinsic freedom,” says Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, global brand president of L’Oréal Paris. “With our Stand Up Against Street Harassment training program, our goal is to ensure that women feel confident in being who they are because nothing should stand between a woman and her self-worth.”

Through the training program that Stand Up offers, people learn how to combat street harassment and equip individuals with Right To Be’s 5Ds methodology (Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, and Direct), enabling them to safely intervene when witnessing street harassment. Over 2.5 million people in 44 countries have already been trained, with the goal of reaching 3 million trainees by the end of 2024.

“No matter who you are, and no matter where you go, you deserve to feel safe and confident,” says Emily May, President and Co-founder of Right To Be. “The 5Ds give us five safe and proven strategies we use when we witness harassment. These strategies are proven to stop the harassment and reduce trauma for the person being harassed. A world free of harassment and filled with humanity is possible, and it starts with us.”

About L’Oréal Paris
L’Oréal Paris is the number one beauty brand in the world with products available in 150 countries around the world. Through its pioneering products and services, L’Oréal Paris empowers each and every woman to take charge of their lives, believe in themselves, take the place they deserve in society and make change happen. At the heart of what the brand embodies is a famous French je ne sais quoi, an empowering vision of self-confidence to imbue every woman with a sense of self-worth. 

About Stand Up against street harassment by L’Oréal Paris
All over the world, 80% of women have experienced street harassment, and 85% of people declare there is a lack of training on how to intervene when witnessing it. Because street harassment goes against everything L’Oréal Paris stands for, the brand launched Stand Up against street harassment in 2020 in partnership with Right To Be. This program is focused on raising awareness about this global issue and training people on how to react safely when experiencing or witnessing it, based on the 5D’s methodology created by Right To Be, an international NGO expert in the fight against harassment of all forms. Right To Be’s 5D’s methodology is five simple and effective tools to help people safely intervene when they witness or experience street harassment. To date, more than 2,5 million people have been trained with Stand Up across 44 countries.

About Right To Be
Right To Be is a global leader in the movement to end harassment. What started as a blog launched by youth to share personal experiences of harassment quickly turned into a global initiative. Right To Be works in communities to understand the problem, ignite public conversations, and develop innovative strategies that result in safe and welcoming environments for all.

*Source : International survey on sexual harassment in public spaces, conducted by L’Oréal Paris with IPSOS, with data gathered in 15 countries with over 15,000 participants, 2021.

**Source : International survey on sexual harassment in public spaces, conducted by L’Oréal Paris with IPSOS, with data gathered in 20 countries with over 20,000 participants, November 5th – December 21st, 2023.

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SOURCE L’Oréal Paris USA