Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 3 (ANI/NewsVoir): Procter & Gamble India (P&G India) makers of brands like Vicks, Ariel, Gillette, Pampers etc. today announced new commitments aimed toward advancing Equality & Inclusion (E&I) across the country, at its fourth annual #WeSeeEqual Equality and Inclusion Summit 2023. The event convened distinguished advocates and personalities to discuss the challenges that the society faces on equality and inclusion, and how different stakeholders can accelerate progress together on issues like gender empowerment, as well as redefining inclusion in advertising and media.

Built on the theme '#Unique and #United', this #WeSeeEqual summit was anchored on the underpinning thought that "Our power lies in our uniqueness, Our strength lies in our togetherness."

At the Summit, LV Vaidyanathan, MD and CEO, P&G India, announced new commitments to challenge the current discourse and commit to the actions needed for progress, as well as shared updates on the commitments made in the past:

- P&G India introduces an Infertility Treatment Support policy

- To support all employees and their partners with more inclusive opportunities for family planning, P&G India is announcing an Infertility Treatment Support policy. Under this policy, P&G India will cover the expenses borne for infertility treatments like Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), etc. In line with our commitment towards inclusive policies, this program supports employees of diverse gender identities, sexual orientations, and family structures.

- P&G India will partner with 50+ educational institutes, including undergraduate colleges and post-graduate universities across the country to ShareThePride.

- With the aim of creating safe spaces and visible allies for the LGBTQ+ community, P&G will work towards sensitizing students, faculty, and staff. Along with this, the company will also partner with institutes to evolve the ecosystem to incorporate positive markers of an inclusive space.

- With Project Pragati, P&G India commits to provide digital upskilling opportunities to 5 lakh women from lesser privileged communities over 5 years

- With the aim of advancing Equality & inclusion in STEM, P&G India, with NGO partners and employee volunteers, will impart a diverse range of digital skills to enhance employable opportunities

- P&G India achieved 50% representation of female directors behind the camera for the company's brand advertisements this year

- This significant milestone was achieved one year ahead of the commitment timeline of 2024. The company will continue to work towards maintaining an equal representation of female directors 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.

- P&G India's Whisper Menstrual Health & Hygiene Program has educated over 2 crore girls on puberty & hygiene over last two years, against a commitment of 2.5 crore girls by 2024

- The company will continue to focus on increasing awareness about the need for period education and preventing girls from missing and dropping out of school. It will renew the commitment to impact 2.5 crore girls over next 3 years.

- Under the 'P&G Shiksha Betiyan Scholarship Program' launched last year, P&G India worked with over 100 institutes (vs target of 50) to benefit girls seeking to pursue higher education in STEM

- The program impacted over 300 beneficiaries with financial aid and mentorship opportunity across technical institutes, undergraduate colleges, and post-graduate universities

- Over the last 2 years, P&G India has invested over INR 400 crore deliberately working with women-owned and women-led businesses in India

- The company's efforts are on track and P&G has significantly over-delivered against the commitment of INR 500 crore from 2021 to 2025

Speaking on the occasion, LV Vaidyanathan, MD & CEO, P&G India said, "At P&G, we believe that everyone brings unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to the table that can unlock growth in businesses and society. #WeSeeEqual is our annual Equality and Inclusion summit that aims to bring leading voices on a platform that encourages dialogue that can accelerate change. Our new commitments aim to expedite our progress through a range of fresh and continued actions as well as partnerships."

He further added, "In India, we have launched several programs that have helped us break biases and challenge stereotypes. Be it brand initiatives like Ariel #ShareTheLoad or Whisper #KeepGirlsInSchool, or progressive policies like inclusive parental leave, extension of policies to members of the LGBTQ+ community, or more recently #LeadWithCare that supports our employees who have children with disabilities. We have seen significant positive change but are also cognizant that there is more work to be done. We are committed to playing our part to pave the way for a more equal and inclusive tomorrow."

The fourth edition of P&G India #WeSeeEqual Summit engaged business leaders, government officials, and personalities in candid conversations around strategic actions that can be taken to advance equality and inclusion. In addition to global and regional P&G leaders, the summit also saw the participation of influential personalities and global leaders including:

- Smriti Irani - Minister for Women & Child Development and Minority Affairs, Government of India

- Shefali Shah - National Award-Winning Actress

- Harmanpreet Kaur - Captain, India Women Cricket Team

- Guneet Monga - 1st Indian Oscar Winning Film Producer

- Lakshmi Sampath Goyal - CEO, Centre for Civil Society

- Tanvi Gandhi - Director and Producer

- Supriyo Chakraborty - LGBTQ+ Rights Activist

- Harish Iyer - DEI Head, Axis Bank

- Sushant Divgikar - Singer, Actor, Performer, Activist

P&G serves consumers in India with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Vicks , Ariel, Tide, Whisper, Olay, Gillette, AmbiPur, Pampers, Pantene, Oral-B, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences and Old Spice. Please visit in.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G India and its brands.

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