Honoring the progress of women around the world, advocating for women’s rights.
ATLANTA (March 6, 2015) — In recognition of International Women’s Day, the global poverty-fighting organization CARE is highlighting the accomplishments of women around the world — from New York to Niger — while advocating for policies that will help girls and women overcome the obstacles they continue to face.
“Women and girls are key to fighting poverty, because we know that when equipped with the right resources, they can lift up themselves, other women and girls, boys, men and entire communities,” said Dr. Helene D. Gayle, CARE’s president and CEO. “On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate their strength, elevate their voice and affirm the value of their contributions — all while emphasizing the important work that remains in order to empower them to be all they can be.”
CARE will mark the March 8 International Women’s Day in several ways:
By mobilizing its advocates in The March for Gender Equality and Women’s Rights. Marching from the United Nations building in New York City to Times Square, participants will spotlight critical concerns as they relate to women’s empowerment, from women and the environment to women’s education to violence against women. Organized by UN Women, the City of New York, the Man Up Campaign, the UN Women for Peace Association and others, the march commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
By advocating for women’s rights, particularly for a standalone gender goal as part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. To that end, a petition launched on Change.org can be found here.
By launching a dynamic corporate partnership to expand girls’ access to education. The Hain Celestial Group Inc., makers of personal care brands, Alba Botanica®, Avalon Organics® and JĀSÖN®, has committed to the three-year campaign called “Empower Her through Education.” The multi-brand movement aims to eliminate barriers that keep girls from a quality education — from violence, hunger and child marriage to repressive ideological beliefs and divisions of labor that disproportionately limit girls’ access to learning.
To kick off the partnership, Hain Celestial will promote a petition to end child marriage. Throughout the campaign, consumers can engage by sharing notes of solidarity through social media, using hashtag #EmpowerHer. Campaign updates and further engagement opportunities will be promoted through each brand’s social media channels. For more information, visit www.care.org/hain.
Hain Celestial is not the only corporation joining CARE in its International Women’s Day observance. In support of CARE’s efforts to empower women and girls around the world, Gap will donate $10,000 from the sale of limited edition t-shirts. CARE provides training support for Gap’s P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement) program, an education initiative that gives life skills and technical training to the women who make the company’s clothes.
This year Gap is taking its International Women’s Day t-shirts global — featuring CARE in 43 stores in the United States, seven in Canada, 14 in Japan, four in the United Kingdom and one in France.
By hosting a wide range of activities at numerous CARE country offices. In Kenya, CARE will host a radio show about men’s role in supporting women’s rights. The show will air on stations in Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee camp. In Niger and Bangladesh, CARE teams will participate in government-led women’s day events. In Somalia and South Sudan, CARE will promote a social media campaign that asks women to post photos and answer the question: “What does it mean to be a woman?”
Media Contacts
Nicole Harris, in Atlanta, nharris@care.org, 404-735-0871
About CARE®
Founded in 1945, CARE® is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and providing lifesaving assistance in emergencies. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to help lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. Last year, CARE worked in 87 countries around the world and reached more than 97 million people through 927 poverty-fighting programs to improve basic health and education, fight hunger, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunities, confront climate change and recover from disasters.