Cosmetics giant Avon has been criticized for maintaining ties with Russia despite the war in Ukraine. The company is still recruiting new sales agents and continues production at a plant in the Moscow region. This was reported by the BBC, according to UNN.
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It is noted that Avon, headquartered in the UK, started doing business in Russia 30 years ago. The company said it provides "critical support" to women whose livelihoods depend on their businesses.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Avon has announced that it will stop investing and suspend exports of its cosmetic products from Russia to other markets, including Ukraine.
Avon's parent company, Brazilian firm Natura& Co, has previously emphasized that it only maintains local operations to support its sales agents who depend on their business.
We believe that restricting their access to products will have a huge impact on women and children,
However, as the publication noted, it is still possible to register as a new sales agent in Russia, and recruits are offered prizes, cash bonuses and even vacations for completing their tasks.
The website offers Russian citizens over the age of 18 access to "iconic, high-quality products" and describes the additional income they can earn by creating their "own life" as a beauty expert.
After registering on the website, the publication received a welcome letter with an offer to start the Easy Start sales program and contact information for a local coordinator.
Steven Tian, a member of a group of Yale University researchers who track companies' responses to the war in Ukraine, said the company "should be ashamed" of itself for continuing to do business in Russia.
There is no justification for continuing to fund Putin's war machine... and there has been more than enough time for companies to exit the market in an orderly fashion,
Mark Dixon, the founder of the Moral Rating Agency, which campaigns against firms doing business in Russia, accused Avon of "moral laundering" for continuing some operations in the country while other companies doing business in Ukraine have no reason to do so.
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