Spirits Canada has joined 86 Harassment as a Sponsor, committing to providing beverage alcohol and hospitality employers and employees with access to training, education, a confidential hotline, and prevention tools from industry experts
New York, NY – August 20, 2024 –86 Harassment (www.86harassment.com), a groundbreaking program addressing sexual harassment and gender-based violence within the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries, is proud to announce that Spirits Canada (www.spiritscanada.ca) has become a Sponsor of this Women of the Vine & Spirits industry-wide initiative. As a leading voice and national trade organization representing the interests of the distilled spirits industry across Canada, joining 86 Harassment as a Sponsor exemplifies Spirits Canada’s commitment to cultivating a safe and inclusive industry for all. Spirits Canada’s corporate sponsorship of 86 Harassment signals to industry professionals and customers alike that sexual violence and harassment have no place in the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries.
86 Harassment is the first industry-wide initiative specifically designed for the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries to co-create an action plan aimed at reducing incidents of harassment and violence. A key initiative of Women of the Vine & Spirits (www.womenofthevine.com), 86 Harassment aims to create a model that can be duplicated by other industries worldwide emphasizing a collective commitment to fostering safer environments for employers, employees and customers.
“We can’t thank Spirits Canada enough for their support of 86 Harassment. This commitment signals to the industry at-large that sexual violence and harassment have no place in beverage alcohol and hospitality, “said Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits and 86 Harassment Council Member. “Sponsoring 86 Harassment further exemplifies Spirits Canada’s commitment to advocacy, responsibility and safety for all beverage alcohol and hospitality professionals.”
Representing Spirits Canada on the 86 Harassment Council is Catherine Eaton, Vice President, Finance and Operations at Spirits Canada. “There is no place for sexual harassment and gender-based violence in our industry or society at large, and Spirits Canada’s support for this initiative reflects our deep commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive and equitable environment, where every individual is treated with dignity and respect,” said Catherine. “It is an honor to serve on this council and to contribute to meaningful change, ensuring that every person can be proud to work in this sector.”
Today, Spirits Canada joins fellow Sponsors Brown-Forman (www.brown-forman.com), Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (www.distilledspirits.org), Pernod Ricard North America (www.pernod-ricard-usa.com), Republic National Distributing Company (www.rndc-usa.com), and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (www.wswa.org).
Thanks to the generous financial funding of 86 Harassment Sponsors, 86 Harassment will support employers and employees with the following free resources:
- Customized Training for the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries on setting boundaries and bystander intervention, including “Creating A Safer Community,” developed and conducted by RAINN (www.rainn.org), and “Active Bystander Intervention” and “De-Escalation Training” for hospitality staff developed and conducted by Safe Bars (www.safebars.org). Additional trainings to be announced.
- Industry-specific Dedicated Confidential Crisis Intervention Hotline operated by staff at RAINN. Telephone Crisis Intervention Services available in English and Spanish. The hotline staff are available 24/7 to support communities with industry-specific crisis intervention, empathetic listening, and warm handoffs to designated local service providers. The Hotline provides quality, anonymous, and confidential crisis intervention services in English and Spanish to support survivors within our industries.
- Centralized Resource Hub including glossary key terms and phrases, articles, reports, newsletters, and educational resources for anyone in the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries. Handouts, toolkits, postcards, flyers, stickers, posters, available to download, print and post on walls on-premise, off-premise, offices and use at conferences, and events.
Become a Sponsor of 86 Harassment
Sponsors are invited to join 86 Harassment by committing to financial support, gaining industry-wide recognition, and participating in the initiative’s council. If you are interested in becoming a Sponsor, please contact Elizabeth Boyd, elizabeth@womenofthevine.com
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, the 86 Harassment Hotline provides free, anonymous 24/7 support via phone at 1.781.277.6679 in English and Spanish. Learn more here. RAINN’s website (www.rainn.org) also provides information on supporting loved ones who are survivors, helping yourself heal if you’ve been directly affected by sexual violence, and how to be part of creating safer communities.
About Spirits Canada
Founded in 1947, Spirits Canada is the national trade organization advocating and representing the interests of the distilled spirits industry across Canada. Our aim is to welcome, connect, educate and inform. From promoting relationships that strengthen the “grain to glass” process of premium distilled products, to driving industry success with, and for, our distilled spirits counterparts across the world on moderate and responsible consumption of alcohol, current issues, economic impact, policy, and data. We want to inspire the past, present and future generation of distilled spirits lovers, and provide resources to ultimately grow the industry.
About Women of the Vine & Spirits
Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS) is the only global membership organization dedicated to empowering and advancing women across every industry sector and all three-tiers of the beverage alcohol industry. Women of the Vine & Spirits is an organization for members to connect through our global and diverse network and collaborate across all industry sectors. Providing members with resources and opportunities to thrive is the cornerstone of our organization’s success. We offer steadfast support to equip women at every position in the field with membership benefits that include education, training, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and networking as well as tools, services, and resources for personal and professional development. We use storytelling to cast a light on experiences common to women and highlight the successful career paths of the women currently driving our industry to a more inclusive and equitable future. Together, we are a committed community, taking action, and making a positive impact on the beverage alcohol industry, through business development & innovation (BDI), worldwide. For more information, please visit womenofthevine.com.
About 86 Harassment – A Women of the Vine & Spirits Initiative
86 Harassment is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at addressing sexual harassment and gender-based violence within the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries. It serves as a collaborative effort to provide resources, support, and education to create safer work environments for all employees and customers. 86 Harassment is led by Women of the Vine & Spirits, in thanks to the generous financial support of our Sponsors, who hold a seat on the 86 Harassment Council: Brown-Forman, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Pernod Ricard North America, Republic National Distributing Company, Spirits Canada, Pernod Ricard North America and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. For more information, please visit www.86harassment.com.
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