Procter & Gamble (P&G), a global leader in consumer-packaged goods, is set to take centre stage at the 11th edition of the Global Citizen Festival, a renowned international event during UN Week. This year’s festival, streaming globally, will spotlight P&G’s commitment to addressing period poverty and providing access to sanitary pads for underprivileged girls. South African actress and global activist Nomzamo Mbatha and Chantal Alison-Konteh, founder of Her Village and Always Period Hero, will introduce a pivotal on-stage moment during the event.
P&G is bringing the Always #Bloodsisters movement and call to action to the global stage in Central Park, New York, amongst tens of thousands of concert goers and millions of viewers worldwide. The movement, which has gained global recognition, was choreographed and curated by Bontle Modiselle, the South African Always Keeping Girls in School ambassador.
Through the Always Keeping Girls in School initiatives, P&G has already empowered over 1 million girls through the donation of 50 million pads across Sub-Sahara Africa. These donations have empowered young girls with the necessary education to overcome the stigmas associated with menstruation.
Bontle Modiselle will lend her voice at the festival alongside fellow activists Nomzamo Mbatha, Chris Rock, Katie Holmes and Nkosana Butholenkosi Masuku. Modiselle is a passionate advocate for helping the less fortunate, bringing awareness to the fact that 1 in 3 girls miss school as a result of their period.
“P&G South Africa believes that we are all global citizens responsible for making the world a better place and the time to do so is right here, right now,” says Cassie Jaganyi, Communications Leader of P&G Sub-Sahara Africa. “We recognize the challenges, especially in a region with high poverty and we strive to play our part to effect positive change.”
P&G has partnered with other Global Citizen organizations, including World Vision and the UN Foundation, for the festival to address various pressing issues, including poverty and education.
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to eradicate global poverty by 2030 as its first goal. Specifically, SDG Goal Five calls for gender equality within the same timeframe. “Participating in the Global Citizen Festival allows us to shed light on these urgent issues,” concludes Jaganyi.