Avon provides employment opportunities (and more) for South African women
Becoming an Avon cosmetics sales representative inspires South African women and promotes their self-confidence and hope according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). This sheds unexpected bright light on a frequently criticised pyramid sales system.
Researcher Professor Linda Scott of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford (UK), and her team found that the earned amount of money would put Avon Representatives in the top half of black females in their community and bring them in line with what a black man earns. But, the benefits of becoming an Avon Representative were more than financial. Some 89 per cent of respondents said they had received job training that could be used to get other employment and 88 per cent of those surveyed said that their experience with Avon had made them more self-confident. Many interviewees claimed that their Avon work had transformed them into a role model for their children and allowed them to ‘fulfil their dreams’ of self-sufficiency.
Avon offers a tried and tested system of training, recognition, reward and support which encourages women who are otherwise often very discouraged, to persevere and achieve. Avon has vast experience managing female Sales Representatives across the world and the company’s pro-woman principle offers a supportive, collaborative network and protective umbrella under which its Sales Representatives can achieve economic empowerment and greater confidence. In comparison, the researchers suggest, the entrepreneurship training programs often instigated by governments and well-meaning companies seem somewhat superficial.
The advantages for future diversity are apparent: The South African Avon ladies and their families benefit from the experience that qualified assignment is accessible. At present there are regrettably low percentage of women employed on good terms in major enterprises. Economic independence creates higher quality of life, better education and thus leads to a more diverse cast of prospective appointments.
