L’Oréal Paris has launched a new global campaign titled “Missed Opportunities” to address the pervasive issue of street harassment, particularly its impact on women’s participation in public life, education, and career advancement. The initiative was announced on April 14, 2025, coinciding with International Anti-Street Harassment Week (April 12–18), and expands the brand’s ongoing partnership with the NGO Right To Be through its “Stand Up Against Street Harassment” program, which began in 2020.
The campaign highlights findings from a survey conducted by L’Oréal Paris indicating that 87% of women worldwide adjust their daily routines to maintain personal safety, often avoiding job offers, lectures, or social gatherings due to fears of harassment. According to the company, nearly one in two women have refrained from pursuing personally or professionally advantageous opportunities because of safety concerns, not lack of interest. L’Oréal Paris emphasized that these behaviors stem from feeling unsafe in public spaces rather than disinterest in engagement.
This effort builds on earlier research by Ipsos and L’Oréal Paris, which found that 80% of women globally have experienced sexual harassment in public spaces. The Stand Up program offers free online training to teach bystanders how to safely intervene using the “5D’s” methodology: distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct. The training is available in multiple languages and aims to foster safer public environments through community empowerment.
Campaign Focus: Visibility and Opportunity
L’Oréal Paris stated that the “Missed Opportunities” campaign specifically targets the subtle and often hidden forms of street harassment that erode women’s confidence and limit their visibility in professional, educational, and social settings. The brand argues that such harassment contributes to long-term disadvantages by discouraging women from speaking up in meetings, pursuing leadership roles, or attending networking events—thereby affecting career progression and societal representation.
The initiative seeks to shift public perception by framing street harassment not as isolated incidents but as a systemic barrier to gender equality. By linking personal safety to professional advancement, L’Oréal Paris aims to engage a broader audience, including employers and policymakers, in creating safer public and workplace environments.
Partnership with Right To Be
The collaboration with Right To Be, formerly known as Hollaback!, remains central to the campaign’s implementation. Right To Be is a global nonprofit dedicated to ending harassment through community-led solutions, research, and advocacy. Since 2020, the organization has worked with L’Oréal Paris to adapt its bystander intervention training for diverse cultural contexts, ensuring accessibility across regions.
Right To Be’s methodology emphasizes non-confrontational strategies that prioritize the safety of both the target and the intervener. Their training modules include scenario-based learning and are designed for apply in workplaces, schools, and community organizations. The expanded rollout under the “Missed Opportunities” campaign includes updated content reflecting recent feedback from participants and evolving patterns of harassment in digital and physical spaces.
Global Reach and Accessibility
The Stand Up training is accessible at no cost via the Stand Up International website and has been utilized by individuals and organizations in over 100 countries. L’Oréal Paris reported that more than 1.5 million people have completed the training since its inception, though the company did not provide a verified breakdown of completion rates by region or demographic.
Efforts to localize the program include translating materials into over 30 languages and partnering with local NGOs to tailor examples to regional realities. In some countries, the training has been integrated into university orientation programs and corporate diversity initiatives.
Broader Context: Street Harassment and Public Safety
Street harassment encompasses unwelcome comments, gestures, or actions occurring in public spaces that are motivated by gender, sexual orientation, race, or other identity factors. Even as often dismissed as trivial, research cited by L’Oréal Paris and Right To Be indicates that repeated exposure can lead to anxiety, depression, and avoidance behaviors that restrict access to education, employment, and civic participation.
The United Nations has recognized street harassment as a form of gender-based violence that undermines women’s right to freely navigate public spaces. Advocacy groups continue to call for stronger legal protections, improved urban design, and public awareness campaigns to address the issue comprehensively.
As part of its ongoing commitment, L’Oréal Paris plans to release updated impact metrics later in 2025, including participant feedback and regional adoption rates. The company encourages individuals to access the free training and share resources within their communities to foster broader engagement.
For more information on the Stand Up program and to access the training, visit Stand Up International.
If you’ve experienced or witnessed street harassment and found ways to respond safely, consider sharing your story to assist others feel less alone. Your voice can contribute to a growing global movement for safer, more inclusive public spaces.
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