July 2023 This week saw 6,500+ advocates, activists, and leaders from gender equality organisations and the public and private sector gather at Women Deliver 2023, in Kigali, Rwanda to drive meaningful action to advance equality for girls and women around the world. Sharing this commitment to support partners in the spirit of action and solutions, Procter & Gamble [P&G] joined Women Deliver 2023 to create space for, and give a platform to, today’s generation of leaders creating impact in their communities.
The week’s activities showcased collaboration and advocacy through high-profile panel discussions, plenary sessions, and film festival screenings. P&G hosted a session entitled, Together We All Lead: A Generation of Action & Impact to showcase the power of collaboration and partnership, and spotlight the work done by long-standing partners, including Girl Up, Save the Children, UN Women and Vital Voices.
Cassie Jaganyi, Communications Leader for P&G Sub-Sahara Africa, host of the “Together we all lead” panel session, expressed her enthusiasm for the remarkable impact being made, saying, “At P&G, we firmly believe that progress is best achieved through strong partnerships and collective effort. The Women Deliver Conference has been an incredible opportunity for us to come together with many of our partners, working together to create a world where we all see equal. Together, we can make more progress to enable women and girls to reach their full potential.”
Speakers on the panel included South African Always Keeping Girls in School program ambassador, Bontle Modiselle who inspired with her message on the power of solidarity in sparking change in the menstrual hygiene space. Also participating was Zuriel Oduwole, education advocate, film maker, and founder of Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up who has inspired 50,000+ young girls across 21 countries to believe in the power of their dreams.
P&G’s efforts to create opportunities and spaces for young leaders and under-represented voices to collaborate for change extends beyond Women Deliver 2023. With its brands, including Always and Whisper, P&G is continuing to support youth leadership programs, capacity building for women-owned and led businesses, equal access to education, and more equality in our homes & workplaces. Some of these efforts include:
– Getting more girls into STEM by working with Girl Up, Inspiring Girls and more, to provide STEM resources, leadership programs, hands-on learning, and scholarships
– Tackling stigma and providing period education and access through programs and partners including ‘Always Keeping Girls in School’, and the ‘Global Menstrual Equity Accelerator’
– Expanding Women’s Economic Empowerment by investing directly with women-owned businesses and building their capacity through partners like WEConnect International to ensure more women entrepreneurs experience training, mentorship, and funding opportunities
– Uplifting young leaders’ voices through the Vital Voices Voces Que Inspiran program, to support Latin American women have inclusive mentoring and leadership training
“This generation of leaders are already transforming their local communities,” Jaganyi added: “We’re giving a platform to these leaders at global moments like Women Deliver and supporting their continued growth through youth leadership programs to multiply the creativity, innovation; and impact of this generation of change makers.”
