DALLAS, TX (November 19, 2019) – This month, Mary Kay Inc. continued to advocate for global female empowerment, entrepreneurship and equality by addressing the issues facing women today at top women’s conferences around the world. The company actively participated in two important international conferences: International Women’s Forum World Leadership Conference in Toronto, Canada, and the Reykjavik Global Forum – Women Leaders in Reykjavik, Iceland.
“More than 56 years ago, Mary Kay Ash founded what is now one of the world’s leading corporate champions of female empowerment,” said Deb Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer of Mary Kay, Inc. “To honor her legacy, and to advance the status of women everywhere, we’re committed to collaborating with world leaders to help women pave a path to independence, financial security and a more equal workplace.”
During the International Women’s Forum World Leadership Conference in Toronto, Canada, leading female architects, advocates, catalysts, and pioneers of change from more than 50 countries came to together to discuss the challenges that face women today and how best to approach them. Mary Kay’s Michelle Haurilak, Director, PR, Digital & Product Marketing at Mary Kay Canada, was on-hand to speak and introduce a session on Becoming a Dangerous Woman, an interview with television powerhouse and editorial director of TEDWomen, Pat Mitchell.
At the Reykjavik Global Forum in Reykjavik, Iceland, Julia Simon, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Mary Kay, joined other female leaders to discuss and share ideas and solutions on how to further advance society, increase equality between women and men and promote and positively develop the number of women in leadership positions. While at the Forum, Simon also attended a Leadership Luncheon hosted by Concordia, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to actively fostering, elevating, and sustaining cross-sector partnerships for social impact. The luncheon tackled themes such as investing in female entrepreneurs, women’s global health, women’s political leadership and women’s education.
“Mary Kay is more than a beauty brand—it’s an empowerment brand, an entrepreneurship brand,” added Gibbins. “While great strides have been made to foster women’s advancement, there is still much more that needs to be done to ensure that progress continues on a global scale. We’re honored to be on the frontlines with other policy leaders to address these issues.”
Participation in these conferences is just the latest step Mary Kay has taken to advance female empowerment. Recently, in collaboration with six United Nations agencies, Mary Kay announced the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator empowered by Mary Kay, a multi-year partner initiative designed to inspire, educate and empower women entrepreneurs around the world. The Accelerator will offer a guided digital curriculum supplemented by on-the-ground training and mentorship. In addition, it will serve as an advocacy platform to eliminate entrepreneurial roadblocks for women, ranging from digital literacy to legal reform—enabling women to fully participate in the growth of their local and national economies. The Accelerator will support global efforts to encourage businesses to establish and expand relationships with women-owned businesses, including corporate procurement. Future expansion of the program will include funding opportunities accessible to women who complete the curriculum.