HeForShe Alliance 2024 report highlights Vodafone’s impact on gender equality

The HeForShe Alliance Impact Report 2024 has highlighted the impact of Vodafone’s ‘1 in 3’ campaign and the growing progress of Vodafone Foundation’s Apps Against Abuse.

2024 also marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of UN Women’s HeForShe Initiative and its Alliance.

HeForShe’s annual report examined the impact of Vodafone Foundation’s Bright Sky, a free to download mobile app and website that provides support and information to those concerned that someone they know is experiencing domestic abuse.

Bright Sky is now available across 13 countries in Europe, North America, Oceania, and Africa. The Bright Sky platforms have reached 1 million people and provide survivors with support through connecting them with specialist services and increasing awareness of abuse.

Joakim Reiter, Vodafone Chief Corporate & External Affairs Officer and Vodafone’s HeForShe Champion said: “Vodafone stands firm in its commitment to prevent domestic abuse and violence. Our Foundation’s Bright Sky app, our workplace policies, and our awareness campaigns demonstrate our continued support to enable a society where every individual can live free of fear and harm.

“Active allyship for survivors is critical if we are to make progress to ensure that the basic human right of living a life from violence and abuse is a reality.”

UN Women estimate that globally one in three women – or around 736 million – will experience domestic abuse at least once in their lifetime. For International Women’s Day 2024,Vodafone Foundation launched its ‘1 in 3’ campaign to highlight the prevalence of this issue.

The campaign exposed the hidden reality of domestic violence within familiar digital settings, raising awareness and directing people to Bright Sky for support, while encouraging social media sharing to amplify the message. It reached over 65 million people, including 51 million women, helping to engage users and encourage them to act.

Vodafone has launched the “Allies Against Abuse” network, training over 250 colleagues on recognizing, responding to, and referring cases of domestic violence in the workplace.

The report also noted the groundbreaking research, sponsored by UN Women, into workplace support for employees experiencing DVA. The research gave an overview of FTSE 100 companies' support measures and establishing a baseline for measuring progress.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the UN Women’s HeForShe Initiative and its Alliance. Millions have voiced their support for the HeForShe mission, generating billions of conversations, demonstrating that male allyship for gender equality is already embraced by many.

The Alliance highlighted how gender equality is a unique key accelerator for achieving every one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. But it warned that deepening challenges for female freedoms and rights are imperilling progress on all the SDGs.

According to the Alliance, over 340 million women and girls will live in extreme poverty by 2030. UN Women and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimate that an additional investment of $360 billion annually is required to bridge the gender equality gap in developing countries.

Remarking on ten years of HeForShe, Joakim Reiter added: “In 2015, Vodafone partnered with UN Women as an inaugural member of the IMPACT 10x10x10 initiative. Since then, HeForShe has helped to shape corporate leadership on many impactful areas for women.

“Building on its partnership with UN Women, Vodafone will continue to drive parity in its own workforce and close the digital divide. Together, we’re on a journey towards greater empowerment, diversity, and inclusion, building a future where every woman's potential is realised.”

You can read the HeForShe Alliance Impact Report 2024 here: HeForShe Alliance Impact Report 2024 Launch