Preventing Violence Takes Collaboration and Innovation

NO MORE was founded on the premise that it will take all of us—from all parts and walks of life—to stop and prevent domestic and sexual violence. We believe in bringing organizations, leaders and communities together to be part of the solution. 

That’s why we’ve teamed up with more than 1,400 diverse allies, advocates and survivors and have more than 40 chapters around the world. It’s why we work with governmental agencies and corporations, even those that are not always the most comfortable or perfect partners because we know we need to speak not only to the “choir” to make progress. And it’s why we provide all of our public awareness campaigns, educational resources and community organizing tools free-of-charge for anyone committed to stopping and preventing violence. 

So, naturally, we applauded when we learned that industry competitors Lyft and Uber (which is one of our corporate partners) decided to join forces to help prevent sexual assault. Their new Industry Sharing Safety Initiative announced yesterday is a great example of how the private sector can have a real impact. Now the two companies will share account information on drivers who were deactiviated for the most serious incidents of sexual assault and fatal assault. If a driver was banned from one platform, he or she won’t be able to drive on the other, giving all riders more peace of mind. 

It’s fitting that Lyft and Uber announced this new effort during NO MORE Week, a time when people and organizations all around the world shine a collective spotlight on the importance of stopping and preventing domestic violence and sexual assault. From the NO MORE Week Virtual 5k Walk/Run to the KNOW MORE Global Dialogue series, thousands of people are taking part and speaking out across the world. 

But the truth is that we need more awareness, attention and effort year-round. Domestic and sexual violence was already an epidemic before COVID-19, but the pandemic has greatly exacerbated the problem. 

We hope that other private sector leaders, in other industries, decide to unite and use their resources, technologies and platforms to prioritize safety and strengthen violence prevention efforts. The time for collaboration and innovation is now. We’ll be here to help speed progress along however we can.

If you have or someone you love has experienced sexual assault and is seeking help, contact RAINN’s confidential hotline at 1-800-656-4673.