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Procter & Gamble commits to new actions and shares strong progress on commitments to promote Equality and Inclusion across the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa

SINGAPORE, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

The company announced new commitments at the P&G #WeSeeEqual summit that saw

participation from international equality & inclusion advocates like Eddie

Ndopu, Sarah Harden, Chieko Asakawa, and Elissa Frieha, among others

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) today announced new commitments aimed toward

advancing Equality & Inclusion (E&I) across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and

Africa (AMA), at its fifth annual #WeSeeEqual summit for the region. The event

saw participation from world-renowned advocates and personalities from the

private and public sectors.

P&G President for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, Stanislav Vecera,

announced new commitments to advance progress in the region:

1.Through its Always and Whisper 'Keeping Girls in School' program, P&G will

educate more than 35 million adolescent girls on puberty and menstrual hygiene

across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, over the next 3 years.

•        The company will focus on increasing awareness about the need for period

education and preventing girls from missing and dropping out of school.

2. Over the next year, P&G will set up a task force of certified 'Mental Health

First Aiders' across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

•        Studies point out that there is a close connection between mental health and

DEI. The mental health of an individual can also be affected by factors such as

microaggressions, lack of representation, and unconscious bias. P&G's 'mental

health first aiders' will be P&G employees from different workgroups who will

be trained and certified by licensed authorities and organizations to provide

support and assist peers experiencing mental health issues. Across markets for

19,000 employees in the region, these First Aiders will act as the first line

of response and will be equipped to identify signs and symptoms of emotional

distress and initiate a supportive conversation with a colleague, guide them

towards available resources in the company, and encourage them to seek

professional support.

Held in partnership with the UN Foundation, the summit focused on emerging

trends and insights in the DEI space including bridging the gap between

generations, particularly focusing on Gen Z, as it becomes a prominent cohort

in the workforce and consumer base; diversity in leadership styles and

perspectives to foster innovation and creativity; and how different

stakeholders can accelerate progress to serve consumers and communities. For

the first time, the summit also shed light on mental wellness as an integral

part to advancing E&I, highlighting biases that can lead to discrimination and

exclusion, which can have a negative impact on mental wellness.

Stanislav Vecera, President – Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Procter &

Gamble said: "We know that everyone brings unique backgrounds, perspectives,

and experiences to the table that can unlock growth in businesses and society.

We will continue to step up as a company, through our brands, and with our

partners, to create value for our employees and communities." He added: "We are

delighted to host the 'We See Equal' Summit, built on the theme of 'Unique and

United' - it's a chance for us to connect with thought leaders and have open,

honest conversations about how we can continue to advance equality and

inclusion."

The company also shared strong progress on commitments across the AMA region

made last year as part of the annual #WeSeeEqual summit in 2022:

•        Last year, P&G introduced the 'P&G ReLaunch program' in three markets -

India, Singapore, and the Philippines – to welcome back talented professionals

who took a break from the workforce and looking to restart their careers in

STEM roles, with targeted support and development. This program is now part of

the company's commitment to strengthen diversity in STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering, and Mathematics) and will focus on people looking to relaunch

their careers in IT, Research & Development, and Product Supply

•        As part of its commitment to spend a cumulative total of $300 million by

deliberately working with women-owned and women-led businesses across the AMA

region, from the year 2021 to 2025, P&G has made headways on this front and has

already invested $175 million in this initiative. Through its flagship AMA

Women Entrepreneurs Academy program, P&G has built the capability of over 1000

Women Entrepreneurs in 10 markets in the region that will enable them to make

their businesses more competitive

•        P&G committed to improving the accessibility of its brand advertising,

including social media content and websites, by making most of our

communication accessible to people with sight and hearing impairments by 2024.

The company has made strong progress on this commitment and by 2024, a majority

of its communication will be accessible to people with sight and hearing

impairments

•        P&G continues to work towards achieving equal representation of female

directors behind the camera for the company's brand advertisements. In the AMA

region, P&G has increased the representation of female directors from 16% in

2019 to more than 35% today. The company aims to achieve 50% women behind the

camera through a comprehensive set of actions to build, fuel, and connect a

pipeline of diverse female talent in advertising, media, and content

The P&G 'We See Equal' Summit saw the participation of influential

personalities and global leaders, including:

•        Guneet Monga Kapoor, first Indian Oscar-winning producer, CEO - Sikhya

Entertainment

•        Eddie Ndopu, Award-winning Humanitarian, Storyteller, Disability Practitioner

•        Elissa Freiha, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Womena

•        Sarah Harden, Chief Executive Officer, Hello Sunshine

•        Sia Nowrojee, Senior Director, Girls & Women Strategy, United Nations

Foundation

•        Aparna Piramal Raje, Writer (Chemical Khichdi), Speaker, Educator

•        Chieko Asakawa, Visually impaired Computer Scientist, IBM Fellow

•        Simidele Adeagbo, Olympian and Advocate

"Mounting evidence continues to show that gender equality is somewhere between

about one to three centuries away, depending on the report you favor and what

you want measured. Accumulating data points repeatedly reveal deepening

disadvantage and discrimination and worrying outcomes", said Sia Nowrojee,

Senior Director, Girls and Women Strategy, UN Foundation. "But our window to

act is now. We believe that companies have a unique responsibility to See

Equal, and those that do will join the global team of people who believe the

dignity and opportunity of all people is worth fighting for."

To inspire corporates and society alike, the summit also hosted global P&G

leaders including:

•        Shailesh Jejurikar, Chief Operating Officer

•        Fama Francisco, Chief Executive Officer – Baby, Feminine & Family Care and

Executive Sponsor – Gender Equality

•        Bala Purushothaman, Chief Human Resources Officer

•        Markus Strobel, President – Skin & Personal Care

The #WeSeeEqual program demonstrates P&G's continued commitment to creating a

more equal and inclusive world and is also a winner of the U.S. Secretary of

State's Award for Corporate Excellence for Women's Empowerment in 2019. As one

of the world's largest advertisers, P&G and its brands will also continue to

leverage their influential voice in media and advertising to drive further

awareness, tackle bias, spark conversations, and motivate change.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of

trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always(R), Ambi Pur(R),

Ariel(R), Bounty(R), Charmin(R), Crest(R), Dawn(R), Downy(R), Fairy(R),

Febreze(R), Gain(R), Gillette(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Lenor(R), Olay(R),

Oral-B(R), Pampers(R), Pantene(R), SK-II(R), Tide(R), Vicks(R), and Whisper(R).

The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide.

Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G

and its brands.

Source: P&G

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