Avon Institute's Chatbot Voice Combats Violence Against Women

In a campaign built by Wunderman Thompson Brazil, hundreds of women provided their voices to create the sound that will be used by Ângela, the social arm of Avon.

The virtual assistant created by the Avon Institute to support the fight against domestic violence – Ângela – has gained a voice. More than 500 women, including Avon Beauty Representatives, consumers, collaborators, partners and followers of the Avon Institute and Avon on social networks were invited to donate their voices to the project. Together, they were used to build the chatbot audio sound for Avon's social arm, 'Speak up, Ângela', developed by Wunderman Thompson Brazil. The campaign 'Speak Up, Angela' is part of the 21 days of activism, initiative created to fight to end violence against women and that takes place annually between November 20th and December 10th when International Human Rights Day is celebrated.

“By inviting women to contribute, we reinforced the power and relevance of female union. Ângela's voice represents us, just as it represents all women who want to continue occupying spaces, overcoming barriers and contributing to the future of new generations, especially when confronted with violent situations of any kind,” said Daniela Grelin, executive director of the Avon Institute.

How Angela got her voice

In early November, audio clips from women were collected on the website. Together, they comprised Avon Institute’s chatbot’s unique voice, enabling it to say any type of word or phrase. Ângela’s voice will be used on the Avon Institute's social networks on relevant topics for women, such as leadership, equality, politics and women's spaces. It will also show how speech can be used as a tool of protection and inspiration for others.

The 'Speak up, Ângela' campaign aims to amplify women’s voices, so that their experiences and perspectives are heard in traditionally male spaces. Ângela will be an important means of communication for the Avon Institute to call on society to rethink silencing, repetitive and naturalised attitudes that exclude women from public debate.

Daniela continued, “When we use our voices, we share information, break free of isolation and encourage other people to speak and fight for their rights and spaces.”

Created by producer Bolha, the voice was developed through a system that teaches machines how real people speak. In this system, five hours of audio were used to create Ângela’s good intonation, human-like timbre and understandable voice.

"Ângela’s voice emerged to ask important questions, claim places and provoke discussions on topics that require attention. We unite the voice of women, with all their differences, to highlight their importance and power at work, in politics, in sports… in fact, wherever they want to be. This campaign is also designed to inform people about women's rights and as a voice against violence and femicide,” said Keka Morelle, CCO of Wunderman Thompson Brazil.

Angela's role in combating violence

Using WhatsApp, Ângela supports girls and women facing domestic violence, putting them in contact with a wide network of legal, social and psychological support. From the very first contact, the chatbot evaluates the degree of risk the person is exposed to in order to provide support, based on a questionnaire inspired by international protocol. Since its launch, more than 30,000 consultations have been carried out on the platform.