Health giant joins UN Foundation’s campaign to tackle gender inequality

The Swedish health company Essity extends its partnership with United Nations Foundation by joining the organisation’s campaign to accelerate progress towards gender equality.

Essity has been a partner to the United Nations Foundation since 2016 aiming to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on bridging the gender gap in healthcare.

The company has decided to join the UN Foundation’s annual campaign #EqualEverywhere to further support progression towards gender equality.

“As a hygiene and health company developing and providing products for all stages in life and breaking stigmas around sensitive, often gender-related topics, Essity is fully committed to do what we can to contribute to gender equality,” said Joséphine Edwall Björklund, senior vice president, communications at Essity.

“By extending our partnership with the UN Foundation, we will continue to pursue global discussions in collaboration with the public sector and other companies to accelerate progress towards achieving this vital goal.”

Essity has tried to address gaps in menstrual health and hygiene by promoting the empowerment of women and girls.

The company says it is working actively to increase dialogue about menstruation and hygiene issues among young people in Mexico, reaching more than seven million people up to date.

More similar projects have been initiated as research shows that menstruation is the most stigmatised topic, followed by incontinence and menopause in countries such as Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. 

Essity, which is behind brands such as Bodyform/Libresse/Nosotras/Saba and Tena, is also hoping to break taboos with campaigns such as “Blood Normal”, the first TV advertisement for period products to replace blue liquid with a more representative red.

Michelle Milford Morse, the UN Foundation’s vice president for girls and women strategy, said: “The UN Foundation’s #EqualEverywhere campaign aims to reach, inspire, and mobilise diverse champions to take up the cause for equality for everyone, everywhere.

“We are thrilled to partner with Essity and to benefit from Essity’s enduring commitment to gender equality.”