Driving women’s rights is harder and stronger for positive changes in gender equality and inclusiveness. Diversity, equity, and inclusion have become core values that businesses and organisations are pursuing.

According to a Euromonitor International survey, women’s rights are among the top 10 global consumer trends in 2023. Looking healthy, hygiene/cleanliness, inner confidence, good oral health/care, etc. are the top female perceptions of beauty globally in this survey.

Female perception of beauty globally

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Therefore, female empowerment has become impossible to ignore and is opening opportunities for businesses both as employers and market players. This requires businesses to build a gender-equal and inclusive culture and working environment while developing, innovating and delivering products – especially beauty, hygiene and health products – to fulfil the needs of consumers.

In Viet Nam, Unilever Vietnam's brands cannot stand outside and have conducted a range of programmes for women. Sunsilk has also cooperated with Song An Career to organise an online event “Reaching career dreams” to guide young girls to find out their real interests and abilities to become more confident.

The online event on career orientation for young girls by Sunsilk

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The program “Women do business” from Sunlight aims to accompany Vietnamese women to pursue their dream of business start-ups by providing courses to equip them with business knowledge and initial capital support.

“Women do business” program by Sunlight

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Unilever has strived to promote a culture of diversity, equity and inclusiveness for all employees through equal opportunities of learning, working, promotion, and policies on welfare and equality rights. The business has achieved a gender balance at the management and director levels.

For upscaling and influence expansion, besides building a gender-equity workplace and driving brands’ purposeful programmes, Unilever Vietnam has closely partnered with the Vietnam Women’s Union for the past 17 years.

This partnership will continue to make efforts and commit to facilitating one million Vietnamese women to develop and improve their quality of life through education and training in health, hygiene, nutrition, livelihood development, and access to business capital from 2022-2027.

Unilever Vietnam and Vietnam Women’s Union to sign 5-year partnership

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Recently, Unilever Vietnam, Sunlight, and the Women’s Union have completed a direct training programme for more than 2,000 women in 10 provinces across the country, including Bac Lieu, Ninh Thuan, Lang Son, Kon Tum, Tay Ninh, Nam Dinh, Ca Mau, Quang Binh, Bac Kan and Phu Yen.

Women participating in the programme can propose business ideas directly to the organisers and have the opportunity to receive prizes and initial financial support to confidently start a business at the Wrap-up and awarding ceremony of “Women do business” programme, which is going to take place this June.

The direct training programme for more than 2,000 women in 10 provinces by Unilever and Sunlight

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In addition, on March 30, to celebrate International Women's month, Unilever Vietnam coordinates with the Management and Sustainable Development Institute (MSD Vietnam) to organise a campaign and seminar bearing the theme “Positive beauty, positive you” with the participation of social organisations, experts and activists.

The programme aims to inspire and encourage women’s confidence in their positive and diverse beauty, as well as their own unique values without being influenced by social stereotypes or prejudices. This aims to contribute to removing gender prejudice barriers, support building women’s capacity, help them confidently unlock their full potential, pursue good values and make positive contributions to society.

With all those efforts, Unilever Vietnam has been honoured at the prestigious UN Women’s WEPs Awards for three consecutive years.

In 2022, the business won the category “Community engagement and partnership” in Viet Nam and the Asia Pacific region. Previously, the enterprise also won in the category “Gender-inclusive marketplace” in 2021; and two categories “Leadership commitment” and "Gender-inclusive workplace" in 2020.