Friday, Sept 1: Charity OneFamily Foundation dropped multi-level marketing company “Safe Girl” from it’s Community Awards after a social media outcry today. Safe Girl is a company that was launched in 2011 in the UK by founder Andrea Clark that claims to provide security devices and empowerment for women, however, critics say that the multi-level marketing model it uses is anything but empowering.
Safe Girl first came to the attention of Timeless Vie and others in the anti-MLM movement some months ago. Like many MLMs, it advertises itself as a way to make a flexible income from home by selling products and recruiting others into a team.
Timeless Vie supporter and anti-MLM activist Michael Foley alerted us to Safe Girl’s inclusion in OneFamily’s community awards. They were asking for 10,000 pounds and competing with genuine charitable organizations for the money. We felt this was wrong but we also felt it was very likely that OneFamily didn’t realise Safe Girl was an MLM. It’s not unusual for MLMs to try and distance themselves from the rest of the industry.
We collaborated with Talented Ladies Club, Elle Beau Blog and other members of the anti-MLM movement on social media to raise the issue with OneFamily. Many supporters also complained directly to the organization. Result: OneFamily announced they were dropping Safe Girl from their awards late Friday afternoon.
Timeless Vie was started to create awareness of MLM as a feminist issue and to provide support for victims of the industry. With the increasing public backlash against MLM, it is more important than ever that companies, charities and government orgs make sure their partnerships are with ethical businesses not MLMs. Please contact us if you have any questions about a potential partnership.
