On Wednesday, March 4, P&G celebrated the impact that multicultural women have on the company and the world at its fourth annual We See Equal Forum at the Cincinnati headquarters.
Each year, the #WeSeeEqual Forum welcomes those with diverse perspectives and backgrounds, allowing employees and change-makers to share their stories as part of the company’s commitment to gender equality. The annual event was born out of P&G’s aspiration to create a world free from gender bias, a world with equal representation, and an equal voice for all individuals. This Forum coincided with the company’s 9th annual Diversity & Inclusion Week, the time each year when the company recognizes progress and renews its commitment to a workplace where everyone is valued and can bring their full self to work.
#MyPerspectiveMatters
The overall theme of D&I Week 2020, “My Perspective Matters,” recognized employees who are championing D&I by ways that build the business, advocate for cultural change, and make an impact within the walls of P&G, and beyond. At this year’s Forum, multicultural women from across the company shared perspective on their expectations and aspirations for P&G – along with the meaningful work they are leading across brand campaigns, supplier diversity, and community impact.
Carolyn Tastad, P&G’s North America Group President, Chief Sales Officer and Executive Sponsor of Gender Equality, opened the Forum by reiterating P&G’s aspiration to have 50/50 representation of men and women at every level, every region and every discipline, and she also announced that among the 50% of women in the U.S., P&G aspires to have 40% of those be multicultural women.
To celebrate and acknowledge the amazing impact of multicultural women within the company and beyond, the #WeSeeEqual Forum featured a variety of panel discussions with P&G leaders and like-minded influencers, including comedian, actress, and writer Mindy Kaling and leadership development expert, Tara Jaye Frank.
Keynote speaker Mindy Kaling (pictured above, right) took the stage with Carolyn Tastad to talk about her career in comedy, writing, acting, directing and producing. She shared her experiences and perspective on representation in a largely male-dominated industry, her voice as an Indian American woman, and the importance of authenticity.
In reference to her expectations of a company like P&G, Mindy offered her perspective: “From a company like P&G, I'm expecting a lot. You are touching billions of people around the world, every day. I really think a company like yours has a huge responsibility, and it’s amazing to me that you do care so much about gender equality, diversity & inclusion, sustainability, and community outreach.”
During the event, Shelly McNamara, P&G Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, also moderated a panel discussion and audience Q&A with David Taylor, P&G Chairman, President & CEO, Monica Turner, P&G Senior Vice President of North American Sales, and Fama Francisco, CEO of P&G Baby and Feminine Care. Speaking on the topic of leadership commitment and their own experiences, the panelists encouraged the audience to engage, support and advocate for all women by better understanding the barriers that multicultural women face. David Taylor proudly shared, “The best results we’ve delivered over the past 10 years have been delivered by our most diverse leadership team.”
Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, joined Olay’s Stephanie Robertson, P&G Beauty’s Freddy Bharucha, and Canada’s Fabric and Home Care Leader Diana Banuelos took the stage to discuss how P&G is leveraging our voice for powerful storytelling to promote equality and advance representation of multicultural women in our advertising. The audience got a special preview of Secret's latest campaign, starring Serena Williams in recognition of International Women’s Day, "Not the First", paying tribute to the women who paved the way for their professional success. The trailer for the new “Not Done” Makers film that will be launched this summer on PBS marking the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote was also previewed.
Additional sessions covered how P&G is driving economic opportunities for women and access to education for girls through support for women-owned businesses, STEM programs and the Always End Period Poverty campaign, and how managers can create a more equal workplace by bridging social distance.
The event concluded with a spoken word performance by poet and performing artist Amena Brown, part of Together Live, a traveling storytelling and speaking series supported by P&G.
P&G is fully committed to gender equality within and beyond our walls, and there is still so much we can learn from one another on our path to creating a world where everyone sees equal. We hope to do this by fostering an environment of open dialogue both at events like the #WeSeeEqual Forum and every day.
