Salon chain aligns with POWA to campaign against GBV

Beauty and hair salon chain, Sorbet, has announced its partnership with POWA (People Opposing Women Abuse) to raise awareness of GBV (gender-based violence).

This coincides with South Africa’s annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign. The country has one of the highest rates of GBV in the world, with rape and domestic violence being so frequent that they are regarded as systemic.

According to the World Population Review, 72.1 women per 100 000 of the population were raped in 2021 alone, while during the first three weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, government’s GBV and Femicide Command Centre alone recorded 120 000 cases of GBV.

Sorbet and POWA have called on South African citizens to paint their nails purple for the duration of the 16 Days campaign and to stand in visible opposition to all forms of GBV, including the most common of all, domestic violence.

They have also asked Sorbet salon guests to share photographs of their purple nails on social media using the hashtags #PaintPurple, #SorbetAgainstGBV and #POWA.

Says Sorbet marketing executive, Candice Thurston: “The #PaintPurple campaign was our way of encouraging Sorbet staff (called citizens), guests (consumers) and the general public to lend their voices – and their nails – to raising awareness of GBV and to getting out a strong message about the practical measures that need to be taken in order to significantly reduce its frequency in South Africa.”

POWA’s Jeanette Sera adds: “GBV knows no boundaries; it isn’t defined or limited by class, race, gender or creed. We need to keep getting the message out about how serious the situation is in South Africa and the #PaintPurple campaign is a novel and eye-catching way to do this.”

Sorbet’s POWA collaboration also coincides with the re-launch of the SEW (Sorbet Empowering Women) Foundation, which aims to facilitate socio-economic upliftment by providing skills training for both women and men and to contribute to both Breast Cancer and GBV initiatives. This foundation raises funds through the Sorbet Group, donating a portion of Sorbet Products sold and calls out to all Sorbet guests visiting their stores to donate R10 instore.

The #PaintPurple campaign is running in all Sorbet Group outlets, including Sorbet Salons, Sorbet Nailbars, Sorbet Drybar, Sorbet Man and Candi&Co. Sorbet Man has also committed to being an ally, calling on all men to speak out against GBV. Sorbet will also be sponsoring gift packs of their products for women affected by violence, which will be distributed through POWA.