Lancôme is launching its first global philanthropic initiative Write her Future focused on women’s literacy. The beauty behemoth will donate at least 2 million Euros ($2.4 million) to literacy programs over the next five years.
Seventy six million young women are illiterate worldwide, making up two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults. Gender inequality and a lack of access to education for young women is the main cause for the disparity. Illiteracy is tied to reduced lifespans and overall health.
“Often hidden, this handicap causes young women to face exclusion and dependence, with serious consequences for themselves, their families, and their close ones,” said Françoise Lehmann, Lancôme’s international president. “This is why Lancôme has committed to fight against young women’s illiteracy and give a voice to this invisible reality.”
Working with humanitarian organization Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE), Lancôme’s literacy programs have already launched in Morocco, Guatemala and Thailand. The company aims to firstly mobilize change by raising awareness about the epidemic of illiteracy on a global scale then to pave pathways to education access. “Lancôme believes that to claim each woman’s right to education, they claim the right to become fully herself,” the release reads.
Lancôme ambassadors Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Taylor Hill, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, Isabella Rossellini and Lupita Nyong’o have promoted the Write Her Future initiative on their social channels to spread awareness of the campaign.
“Literacy is one of the most defining human skills. We read and write—that’s how we communicate, how we share, how we express our feelings, and how we learn to understand the world. To not have that accessible to everyone everywhere is really a crime. It’s so great for Lancôme to be involved and get serious about supporting young girls in the world through the work of Write Her Future,” Julia Roberts said.
