Helping change the lives of girls around the world sometimes can be very difficult to do, but philanthropic campaigns make it easier than ever, especially when it is tied in to your favorite beauty products. There are approximately 65 million girls missing from classrooms around the world. If they had access to education, we could help decrease the number of them who are sold into slavery, or forced into childhood marriages. A huge way to create change is to help educate girls.
Makeup alone cannot even the playing field for women and girls across the world, but entrepreneur and makeup artist Bobbi Brown believes that together, those who create, apply, buy and wear makeup, can. That is why she has launched a campaign that is about giving other women and girls the chance to feel beautiful by excelling in work and life, too. Bobbi Brown Cosmetics launched The Pretty Powerful Campaign for Women & Girls on March 8th, 2013, International Women’s Day – to help women of all ages “be who they are” by supporting programs that provide them with the knowledge, skills and experience to overcome the inequities and disadvantages that far too many of them face each day.
This year, the campaign introduced the Pretty Powerful Mascara in 5 countries. In the U.S., every cent of the retail price (US $25.00) will be donated to The Girl Rising Fund, a 501c3 fund operated by the Tides Foundation, which removes barriers to education that many girls face in developing nations.
How the Campaign Helps Women and Girls
The Pretty Powerful Campaign for Women & Girls is committed to ensuring that all women and girls receive the education as well as the life and job skills necessary to thrive as people, students, workers, partners and parents. The Campaign supports the following organizations in the following countries:
US
- The Girl Rising Fund: a 501c3 fund, operated by Tides Foundation, which drives resources to effective girl-empowerment programs in the developing world. Donations to the fund are evenly distributed among seven NGO partners including A New Day Cambodia, Girl Up, Room to Read, CARE, World Vision, Partners in Health and Plan. More details, www.girlrising.com
- Broome Street Academy: a tuition-free public charter high school devoted to providing students the necessary skills and support to graduate high school, while preparing them for a successful future beyond high school. Their admissions policy gives preference to students who are homeless, in foster care, or from low performing schools. For more information: www.broomestreetacademy.org
- Dress for Success: an international non-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Details, here: www.dressforsuccess.org
UK
Smart Works: a charity that helps women on low incomes get a job and become financially independent by providing professional attire and training for interviews. www.smartworks.org.uk
South Africa
Heartbeat: a charity that cares for the emotional well-being of orphaned and vulnerable young women and girls suffering from the impact of HIV. www.heartbeat.org.za
Korea
Open Closet: an organization that supports job seekers with limited resources by providing access to professional attire, as well as other career development tools. http://theopencloset.net/
How You Can Join the Movement
You can help give more women and girls the chance to realize their full potential by raising money for The Pretty Powerful Campaign for Women & Girls by:
- Purchasing the Pretty Powerful Mascara at Bobbi Brown counters or online. All proceeds will go towards benefitting one of the organizations above, per country.
- Log on to www.BobbiBrownCosmetics.com/PrettyPowerful to make a donation to one of the five international organizations a part of The Pretty Powerful Campaign.
- Make a product purchase on the Bobbi Brown website and make a donation at checkout.