Kotex, champion of women's progress for 100+
years, launches provocative next phase of its "She Can Initiative"
to generate awareness around study and drive systemic
change
DALLAS, Feb. 27,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimberly-Clark's (NYSE:KMB)
Kotex, creator of the period care category, is marking
International Women's Day (March 8)
by releasing eye-opening data from a study around how women
worldwide feel about progress. Kotex uncovered that nearly 60% of
women believe that the speed of women's progress is either stagnant
or moving slowly. Half of the women polled indicated that the world
is a more uncomfortable place for them than ever before.
Furthermore, the study showed that these sentiments are relatively
stronger among the younger generation. With this data top of mind,
Kotex is launching its #ProgressFeelsLike effort to speak to this
serious threat and encourage women around the world to have a voice
and share their view of what progress is like in their daily lives
and in the world around them.
"In a long history of advancement of women's rights and
equality, today we are reminded that progress isn't a given," said
Alison Lewis, chief growth
officer at Kimberly-Clark. "Now is a crucial time for women
everywhere to use their voices to inspire change, and we are
pleased to offer a platform to share what #ProgressFeelsLike from
their viewpoint. On International Women's Day and every day,
#ProgressFeelsLike unites us and empowers us in our pursuit of
progress across every culture and every country in the world.
Because period or not, She Can."
To help show the world what #ProgressFeelsLike, Kotex is
debuting a provocative film produced by an all-female Kotex team in
partnership with Capital A Creative and Rakish, led by renowned
director, Jaci Judelson.
The powerful #ProgressFeelsLike film speaks to the data unearthed
in Kotex's study. It depicts the reality around the globe that
women face bias related to inequality, their periods and other
restrictions, which continue to challenge or hinder progress.
Kotex is encouraging women worldwide to participate in the
movement by using #ProgressFeelsLike in social media posts. The
period care brand is also organizing on-the-ground activations to
ignite conversation and inspire change for women within their
communities. Examples include:
- In Turkey, Kotex is increasing
its commitment to women's progress to ensure a more comfortable
world where women can express themselves freely and break menstrual
taboos. For every tweet using #ProgressFeelsLike in Turkey, the Kotex team will make a matching
product donation to non-profit women's organizations.
- In Brazil, Kotex is launching
a digital art festival to visually depict what #ProgressFeelsLike
and to celebrate women's achievements, question the stigmas around
menstruation, and show that women haven't come this far to stop
here.
- In the US, U by Kotex will donate two period products to
Alliance for Period Supplies from the purchase of any U by Kotex
product purchased at Walmart during March
2024. U by Kotex will also donate two additional period
products to APS for each repost of its social media post for
National Women's Day on March 8,
2024, to drive awareness of period poverty, an issue that
impacts one in three low-income women in the US.
- In Vietnam, Kotex is launching
a music video that calls for consumers to submit entries that speak
to what #ProgressFeelsLike when it comes to chasing their dreams.
The top three winners will receive a $5,000 scholarship to make their ideas a
reality.
As part of the #ProgressFeelsLike movement, Kotex is leading by
example and has formed a new partnership with She's the First, a
non-profit organization that fights for a world where every girl
can choose her own future. As a part of the partnership with She's
the First, Kotex is standing behind its pledge to progress and
donating funds to help support the organization's mission to make
sure girls everywhere are respected, educated and heard. The
#ProgressFeelsLike movement and new alliance with She's the First
is an extension of Kotex's She Can Initiative and existing
work with Plan International and WASH United. The three
partnerships align with Kotex's ongoing mission to champion women's
progress by fighting period stigmas and the barriers they cause, by
promoting access to education in schools and communities and by
helping to open doors so women gain equal opportunity.
Click here to view and download the #ProgressFeelsLike
infographic. Click here to watch the film. Click here for more
information about the Kotex #ProgressFeelsLike movement and She Can
Initiative. For press inquiries contact Abby Hagstrom,
abby@thescratchcollective.com.
*= Kotex's Global Consumer Insights Study, September 2023 Total N = 3500. Full study
available by request.
About Kotex
Our Kotex, U by Kotex, and Intimus brands
aim to ensure a period never gets in the way of any woman's
progress. Kimberly-Clark created the period care category with the
launch of the Kotex brand 100 years ago, and today, its products
are trusted by millions of women in more than 100 countries to
provide outstanding protection and inspire confidence that period
or not, she can.
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and
its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in
more than 175 countries and territories. Fueled by ingenuity,
creativity, and an understanding of people's most essential needs,
we create products that help individuals experience more of what's
important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including
Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex,
Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and
WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 70
countries. We use sustainable practices that support a
healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business
thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one
of the World's Most Ethical Companies(R) by Ethisphere for the
fifth year in a row. To keep up with the latest news and to learn
more about the company's 150-year history of innovation, visit
kimberly-clark.com.
About She's the First
She's the First is a global
girls' rights organization that fights for a world where every girl
can choose her own future. They team up with grassroots leaders to
make sure girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard. Over
the past 13 years, they've created transformational outcomes for
563,741 girls by working alongside 685 community organizations in
42 countries. To fulfill their mission, they teach a girl how to
speak up for herself in her home, school, and community, while they
teach the mentors in her life practical ways to support her agency.
As a result, these girls become the first women in their families
to achieve amazing milestones—and they are never the last.
Their diverse team is based across the U.S., Kenya and Guatemala. They've built a strong reputation
as an anti-oppressive and girl-centered organization. Their
leadership in the girls' empowerment space is recognized by former
First Lady Michelle Obama, the
United Nations, the Clinton Global Initiative, Women Deliver and
the DVF Awards.
[KMB-C]
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