As world leaders and global advocates convene for the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, leading companies introduce the Deliver for Good Business Ally Network to strengthen collaboration between the private sector and to promote critical investments in girls and women.
Today, Merck and P&G joined civil society organizations in announcing the Deliver for Good Campaign Business Ally Network – a platform for private sector champions to work alongside leading civil society organizations and governments to drive solutions toward a more gender equal world. The announcement came at the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, the world’s largest conference on gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women.
Launched during the Women Deliver Conference in 2016, Deliver for Good is an evidence based advocacy campaign that calls for better policies, programs, and financial investments in girls and women. Supported by the governments of Canada and Denmark, Deliver for Good is a network of multi-sector, multi-issue partners united in a shared commitment to advance gender equality across the Sustainable Development Goals.
Three years later, the introduction of the Business Ally Network demonstrates the next step in breaking down barriers and effectively engaging across sectors, issues, generations, and geographies. Recognizing the powerful role the private sector plays in addressing inequality, this new network will leverage the voice, expertise, and scale of the private sector to accomplish three main goals alongside civil society partners:
“At P&G we aspire to build a better world for all of us – a world free from gender bias, with equal voice and equal representation for all individuals – a world where everyone sees equal,” said Carolyn Tastad, Group President - North America and Executive Sponsor - Gender Equality at Procter & Gamble. “We know that when equality increases – businesses perform better, economies thrive, communities are healthier – and the world is a better place for all. It benefits all of us – and it will take all of us. That’s why we’re joining Deliver for Good as a founding member of the Business Ally Network.”
Since 2016, more than 400 organizations globally have signed on to the Campaign, building a movement to catalyze action for girls and women. “Seeing such a diverse group of partners rally together for girls and women is inspiring – and it’s critical if we want to see a more gender equal world,” said Katja Iversen, President/CEO of Women Deliver – the organization that first initiated the Campaign. “Gender equality is everyone’s business, and it can’t be business as usual. It’s time to activate the power of partnerships to be bold, be brave, and step it up, to deliver for girls and women.”
“At Merck, we actively recognize our responsibility and the important role we play in advancing women -- who represent our employees, shareholders, customers, partners, suppliers, and community members,” said Anna Van Acker, President and Managing Director, Merck Canada. “We also recognize that we cannot work in isolation and must create alliances to see the change we want. The Deliver for Good Business Ally Network creates a unique and powerful platform for driving collective action across the public and private sectors in order to change the narrative and to find those opportunities to support girls and women around the world.”
The Deliver for Good Business Ally Network was formally launched today during an event at the Women Deliver 2019 Conference and featured key Campaign supporters including Deliver for Good high-level Influencers Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Dr. Alaa Murabit, High-Level Commissioner: Health, Employment & Economic Growth.
Learn more about the Deliver for Good Campaign, see the partners and allies, and sign the Commitment to Girls and Women here.
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About the Deliver for Good Campaign:
Deliver for Good is a global campaign, initiated by Women Deliver and partners that applies a gender lens to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promotes critical investments in girls and women to power progress for all. The evidence-based advocacy campaign calls for enhanced policies, programming, and investments in girls and women. The Deliver for Good Campaign highlights the ripple effects of investing in girls and women so decision makers understand the central role that gender equality plays across all global development efforts. The global campaign was launched at the Women Deliver 2016 Conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark. In September 2017, India, Kenya, and Senegal were announced for dedicated advocacy work aiming to facilitate greater collaboration between government, NGOs, the private sector, UN agencies, and young people to ensure girls and women are prioritized in the local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and other development plans. Kenya is the first country implementing this national level campaign and is led by FIDA Kenya and a network of partners. The Deliver for Good campaign is made possible with the generous support of the Government of Canada and the Government of Denmark.
About Merck:
For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn
About Procter & Gamble:
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com/for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.