ATLANTA (February 25, 2020) – Nearly 40 percent of the world’s girls and women – 1.4 billion – live in countries failing on gender equality.* And according to a 2019 poll by Verizon Media Brands, many American women (68 percent) want to play a role in reducing gender bias around the world. Following a successful 2019 International Women’s Day campaign that generated over 350M media impressions and 99 media placements, the global poverty-fighting organization CARE® will again host a powerful International Women’s Day campaign, #WomenEqual, giving the American public many ways to join the fight to make all #WomenEqual.
“For decades, CARE® has been leading innovative global programs that ignite transformational change for women through financial inclusion, health, education, and dignified work. And, through this work, we understand that equality is the answer to overcoming the world’s greatest problems. Armed with the equal opportunity to learn, earn, and lead, we know women make societies and economies thrive – we can’t afford to not work to make #WomenEqual,” said Michelle Nunn, president and CEO of CARE.
A multi-channel engagement platform, #WomenEqual will kick off March 1 and include activations throughout the month. CARE’s International Women’s Day events include the release of a series of “hero-story” videos; an Innovation Showcase reception in New York City on Thursday, March 5; a convening of dozens of corporate partners addressing the role of business in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality); and a special post-matinee conversation with the audience featuring select stars and producers of Jagged Little Pill on Sunday, March 8 on Broadway, among other events.
As part of the campaign’s ongoing celebrity engagement, CARE will launch a public service announcement in the week of March 2, featuring well-known women in entertainment to educate the public on the global view of gender injustice and to empower women and allies to fight for equality. More details coming soon.
“Just as the original CARE Package® allowed compassionate Americans to respond to devastation and poverty in the wake of World War II, our #WomenEqual campaign will help Americans fight for the rights of women globally,” said John Aylward, CARE’s chief marketing officer. “The #WomenEqual campaign delivers easy and accessible ways for individuals to engage and support women here and around the world. We will have exciting media moments, celebrity and influencer participation, creative social media content, and powerful stories of women. Together, we will work to include women around the world in the women’s movement and we will show them that we care.”
Corporations, celebrities and other partners will also encourage the public to join the effort in the following ways:
- Give. Visit fight.care.org and make a donation or learn more about corporate partners like Banana Republic, Gap, Nordstrom, and Cynthia Rowley who are supporting CARE through cause promotions.
- Learn. View compelling stories about the lives of resilient women around the world, the challenges they face, and how CARE® programs make a positive impact in their lives.
- Speak Out. Become an advocate for women and girls around the world by signing CARE’s petition and using your voice to help make #WomenEqual.
- Rally Others. #WomenEqual power, progress and potential. #WomenEqual survivors, peacemakers, mothers, educators, and leaders. Follow CARE on social media, share what #WomenEqual means to you, and tag others to get them involved.
Several corporate partners have already committed to support CARE during March:
- Mars Wrigley announced an expansion of its partnership with CARE with an additional $10 million investment to expand Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) programs in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana. Over the next five years, CARE and Mars Wrigley will reach 50,000 people in cocoa-growing communities in West Africa. This investment will significantly scale CARE’s VSLA programming giving thousands of women in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana the opportunity to join together – under their own leadership and with their own aspirations – to realize critical improvements in not only their lives, but also those of their families and communities
- Long time partner Gap Inc. is celebrating International Women’s Day with donations from Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy going to CARE in support of Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement) program. CARE has been an implementing partner of P.A.C.E. well over a decade, helping to expand the life skills and education program to 500,000 women and girls around the world.
- Banana Republic will donate $100,000 to salute female trailblazers and boundary breakers.
- Old Navy is introducing an International Women’s Day “she” graphic tee in stores and online. The brand is also making a donation on behalf of six female employees who will be recognized through Old Navy’s International Women’s (Every) Day campaign for inspiring others and making an impact in their communities.
- Gap will debut GapFit Breathe tops designed by two strong, resilient, and inspirational women, Rebecca Alexander and Hannah Corderman, with a donation.
- Nordstrom and CARE are partnering for the first time, focusing on our shared commitment to helping lift millions of women and girls around the world out of extreme poverty by supporting CARE’s efforts to ensure 8 million women in Asia have access to safe and equitable workplaces. To demonstrate support for CARE’s #WomenEqual campaign and to fight for women’s rights everywhere, Nordstrom will donate $25,000 to CARE and will additionally match up to $25,000 for every donation made to CARE between March 6th and 8th, the weekend of International Women’s Day.
- Delta Air Lines will sponsor CARE’s Innovation Spotlight Reception on March 5 in New York City as we honor refugees, hear their stories, celebrate their dreams, and learn about the groundbreaking tools CARE is using to bring opportunities to women.
- Cynthia Rowley is partnering with CARE to show women around the world that equality is a right, not an aspiration. Cynthia Rowley will donate 15 percent of sales from a special selection of products to benefit CARE’s mission and women’s empowerment efforts.
- Banana Republic will donate $100,000 to salute female trailblazers and boundary breakers.
- Old Navy is introducing an International Women’s Day “she” graphic tee in stores and online. The brand is also making a donation on behalf of six female employees who will be recognized through Old Navy’s International Women’s (Every) Day campaign for inspiring others and making an impact in their communities.
- Gap will debut GapFit Breathe tops designed by two strong, resilient, and inspirational women, Rebecca Alexander and Hannah Corderman, with a donation.
Other corporate partners supporting CARE’s International Women’s Day efforts include Cummins Inc., Fiserv, Global Impact, Mastercard, Nuri & Ash, Olivela, Starbucks, and & Other Stories.
Throughout women’s history month, CARE also thanks its Leadership Partners for their annual support including Abbott, C&A Foundation, Cargill, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Gap Inc., General Mills, Mars Wrigley, Mastercard, Procter & Gamble, The PepsiCo Foundation, The Pfizer Foundation, Target, and The UPS Foundation.
About CARE: Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. Last year CARE worked in over 100 countries around the world, helping more than 50 million people. To learn more about CARE and our #WomenEqual campaign, visit fight.care.org.
*Equal Measures Global Report 2019
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Media contact:
Vanessa Parra
Executive Director, Media Relations, CARE
email: vanessa.parra@care.org | skype: va.parra
cell: +1 917-525-0590