L'Oréal Caribe beautifies the national gender based violence shelters network with a message of courage

As part of the program, beauty spaces were created to empower and strengthen the self-esteem of domestic violence survivors.

December 8, 2021 - As part of its initiatives to empower and support women, L'Oréal Caribe started a beautification project around mid-year whose main purpose is to impact women who are survivors of gender-based violence with the message: Courage is the new Beauty (Valentía es la nueva Belleza). The project is conducted in partnership with the “Red Nacional de Albergues de Violencia de Género” (National Gender Violence Shelter Network) and its nine organizations across the island, consisting of transforming spaces inside the shelters with beauty equipment and furniture so that the participants in each shelter may have a designated area for personal care. The objective of this initiative is to support the Networks’ daily empowerment efforts with their participants, currently with a capacity to shelter a total of 280 families, including women and their children.

Liana Camacho, PPD Director and L’Oréal For the Future Lead at L’Oréal Caribe said: “The pandemic’s lockdown measures undeniably created a very trying environment for everyone across the world, but even more so, for victims of domestic abuse in our island. As a company that has been committed to empowering women, it was essential to take action to help the most vulnerable women particularly those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are inspired by the tireless efforts of the ‘Red Nacional de Albergues de Violencia de Género’ and their true potential to alleviate the challenges that women face every day. Together, we believe we can help make a difference and bring a voice to women who need it the most.”

The transformation of the spaces inside the shelters consisted of branding the walls with a message of courage and a design highlighted in purple, symbolizing the fight against domestic violence. Vanities, furniture, and storage were installed with designated stations for hair care, makeup, and nails. L’Oréal Caribe is committed to supplying the shelters with products from their beauty brands including cosmetics, makeup, fragrances, and hair and skin care. Part of the furniture and equipment installed was a donation from Esteban Montes Hair & Care Spa Salon, who collaborates with the program in commitment to the beauty of Puerto Rican women.

“The support from L'Oréal Caribe has helped us rebuild, and in some cases even create the self-esteem of our participants. When survivors of domestic abuse transform their physical appearance, they discover how strong and brave they can be. That is one of the roles of our group of nine shelters, to help women live without fear,” said Vilmarie Rivera, president of the ‘Red Nacional de Albergues de Violencia de Género’.

Six out of the nine shelters of the Network have already been impacted. The mission of creating beauty spaces inside the shelters will continue this month with the completion of three more shelters. The transformed shelters are: Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos (2 locations), Hogar Nueva Mujer, Hogar Ruth, Casa Protegida Mujeres y Niños and Casa de Todos. As part of the program, professional educators from L’Oréal Caribe will provide beauty and personal wellbeing workshops to the participants.

“Our mission at L'Oréal Caribe is to champion women and empower them. We are committed to supporting the communities where we serve and to positively impact domestic violence survivors in our island with a message of courage,” said Dave Hughes, general manager of L'Oréal Caribe.

As part of the alliance, L’Oréal Caribe donated Christmas toys to the boys and girls in the nine shelters. The toy drive was an employee volunteerism effort tied to L'Oréal Caribe’s commitment to the communities of Puerto Rico.

About L’Oréal Caribe

L’Oréal is recognized as the world's leading beauty company, encompassing a wide variety of brands within four main divisions: Consumer Products Division, Professional Products Division, Luxe Division and Active Cosmetics Division. L'Oréal Caribe manages a portfolio of 31 global beauty brands, including L'Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline New York, NYX Professional Makeup, Essie, Carol's Daughter, Dark & Lovely, Lancôme, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Cacharel, Kiehl's, Clarisonic, Urban Decay, It Cosmetics, Diesel, Atelier Cologne, Valentino, Maison Margiela Paris, L'Oréal Professionel Paris, Redken, Kérastase, Matrix Professional Technology, Pureology Serious Color Care, Mizani Professional Technology, La Roche Posay, Vichy, Dermablend Professionel, and CeraVe. L'Oréal Caribe is an active member in the community with a strong culture of volunteerism and a commitment to support the communities where we operate. L'Oréal Caribe has been recognized by ‘Mejores Patronos’ and is a certified Women Preferred Employer in Puerto Rico. From its offices in Puerto Rico, L'Oréal Caribe manages the Caribbean region with 25 island markets, with the purpose to create the beauty that moves the world. The top 8 are: Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Aruba, Curaçao and Barbados. For more information visit https://www.loreal.com/es-pr/caribe/.

Contacts:

Yashira Torres

Director of Public Relations, DDB Latina Puerto Rico

Phone: 939-645-5175

Email: [email protected]

Yesabel Ortiz

Phone: 787-409-3143

Email: [email protected]