sTandTall, Unilever

Ambassador: Esther Marshall , United Kingdom

Esther works at Unilever and her charity sTandTall in her free time. sTandTall, an online platform was created to support victims of domestic abuse after she attended One Young World in 2014. Esther said, "when I was younger I thought I had found someone who loved me. But he would hurt me to the point that I was scared. But I never told anyone any specific details – because I was afraid. Afraid of people thinking I was weak. Then in 2014 I went to One Young World where I heard about other young people overcoming the adversity they had been through. It had a deep effect on me. I decided that day I would stop diarising my experiences and start getting on with my life. The final sentence I wrote was 'one day I will stand tall.' I went back to my room each night that week and started to draw up a plan of what I’m most passionate about. Safety. Safety for women and girls." Esther reached out to One Young World Founders David Jones and Kate Robertson who persuaded her to contact Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, and with his support and the support of his team sTandTall was created. 

The sTandTall website platform enables NGOs, charities and organisations to publicise their services and tools designed to help victims and simultaneously increases the NGOs positive social impact. sTandTall also provides workshops which highlight and bring to life the effects and impact of bullying and abuse, and provides safety tips to both boys and girls. The website has received over 50,000 views and sTandTall has generated 1 million social media impressions. Over 120 hrs of advice have been given to people at risk and 60 hours of advice on noticing warning signs in relationships or among friends and colleagues. Esther herself has been contacted by over 500 people to talk about their experiences. Ultimately the aim of sTandTall is to build centres which provide holistic restorative care to abuse victims around the world and ensuring they are able to achieve their potential.