Procter and Gamble announces newest commitment to gender equality across the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and Africa region

Co-hosted with UN Women, P&G’s first IMEA #WeSeeEqual Summit brought together business and government leaders, and influencers to share inspiration and surface insights around the myths that prevent us from accelerating our progress for gender equality.

The Summit brought together the leading voices to share perspectives on gender equality in its many facets including women’s economic empowerment, the role of advertising and media, the myths that are holding us back from equal representation in leadership and the workplace, and the importance of male champions as advocates.

During the day-long programme, speakers shared their perspectives with an audience of P&G leaders, business partners, media professionals, civil society leaders, and government representatives.

During the event, Procter & Gamble (P&G) announced a new commitment around a number of initiatives that will promote gender equality across the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) region.

Over the next three years:

• P&G aims to spend USD 100 million on deliberately working with Women-Owned Businesses in India, Middle East and Africa;
• P&G will educate more than 23 million adolescent girls on puberty and hygiene across India, Middle East and Africa;
• P&G and its brands will use our voice in forums like the #WeSeeEqual Summit, brand advertising like Ariel, Whisper, Always & Gillette and multi-stakeholder efforts to spark conversation and motivate change.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, said, “To get irreversible progress in gender equality takes sustained, intentional action. We need to work together on this wherever those inequalities are present—in schools and offices; in the media; in sports arenas, farms, factories and houses of parliament. We’re driving for practical changes, like supply chain agreements that bring good business to women-owned companies, at the same time as we change the narratives about the place and power of girls and women in society—so they are both seen and treated as equals.”

P&G is a long-time global advocate of women empowerment and gender parity through various impact programmes and the company has helped empower and shape the societal perception of women.

Original source: UN Women
Published on 18 February 2019