P&G Turns on Active Allyship in Its 2021 Pride Celebration, ‘PrideON’
Despite the limitations brought by the pandemic, last week,
GABLE, P&G’s employee affinity group for LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender and Queer) employees, led the company’s first-ever virtual pride
event titled PrideON, a collaborative affair held among the Asia
Pacific/India/Middle East/Africa (AMA) markets.
PrideON is P&G’s corporate initiative to educate and
celebrate the progress made on LGBTQ+ Equality and Inclusion in the workplace.
Through the presentation of international keynote speakers and directly
addressing myths about LGBTQ+ in the workplace, this virtual Pride Event aimed
to inspire the employees with the power of active allyship in driving change
internally and externally.
Global Speakers Turning PrideON
The event was hosted by Joey Mead King, a Filipina model and
LGBTQ+ advocate, particularly known for her stints in Asia’s Next Top Model as a model mentor and co-judge, and her
presence in the fashion and modelling industry. As an advocate for many things
including the LGBTQ+ community, she is the proud wife of Angelina Mead King, a
transgender woman.
The keynote speeches were led by P&G leaders Alex Keith,
Shelly McNamara, and EY Group's Chief Operating Officer for Japan, Moriaki
Kida. They each touched on how allyship can turn PrideON for brands, for
members of the community navigating their careers, and for senior leadership
influencing the organization. Joined by a panel of P&G leaders in the
community, they also tackled myths and misconceptions about allyship.
June 7 was kicked off by P&G’s very own CEO
for Beauty, Alex Keith. As P&G’s Global Co-Sponsor for GABLE, Keith talked
about how the inclusive and diverse work of P&G brands is a reflection of
active allyship within the organization. By sharing case studies from brands
like Pantene Europe and Vicks India, Keith showed how brands can and should
serve LGBTQ+ consumers as part of an overall inclusive business strategy. In a
panel discussion with Tatan Patricio, Director for Fabric and Home Care
for Australia and New Zealand, Keith directly tackled myths about rainbow
branding and pinkwashing, and reinforced that P&G is on a committed journey
to serve the LGBTQ+ consumer through constant listening, learning and action.
The session was followed by Moriaki Kida, Chief Operating
Officer of EY Japan. As the event’s external speaker, Kida took the audience
through navigating a successful career as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Coming from personal experiences, Kida talked about the importance of giving
everyone a level-playing field to create a culture evolution where diversity
& inclusion is fully realized in decision-making. Kida’s unique experiences
as a recognized Outstanding LGBTQ+ Role Model in Asia also underscored the
importance of having allies in navigating a successful corporate career. For
the panel discussion, Kida was joined by Vijay Sitlani, P&G Europe’s Vice
President for Finance. Together, both panelists talked myths on how disclosing
one’s own orientation can affect career performance.
Day 2 was kicked off with a keynote speech from author,
storyteller, and P&G’s Chief Equality & Inclusion Officer Shelly
McNamara. McNamara detailed the importance of allyship as a foundation of great
leadership, and how acceptance from leadership enables everyone to bring their
best selves to work. Through her stories told in poetry, McNamara shared
snippets of her life as a daughter, as an LGBTQ+ mother, and as a leader in
P&G. McNamara’s personal reflections painted the picture of how support
from leadership affects the lives of an employee and the people in their lives.
Recognizing Heroes
With thousands of attendees across the Philippines,
Australia, India, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam, the
spirit of Pride was truly felt as employees and external partners came together
online. The event culminated with celebrations for the region’s milestones in
equality and inclusion.
P&G’s Senior Vice President for Olay and Personal Care,
and the Executive Sponsor for GABLE in the region, Priyali Kamath, started the
festivities by presenting the first ever Pride Awards. Employees from all over
the region were recognized for their own efforts in the areas of being Forces
for Change, Forces for Good, and Forces for Growth in Equality and Inclusion.
By recognizing the game-changing work from individuals, P&G is setting the
bar on how employees can take active allyship roles in their organizations and
in the work they do.
The Step-up Challenge
With Pride Month also comes P&G’s first-ever virtual
Pride March – the 2021 Step Up Challenge. Employees from seven countries in the
region walked in solidarity from the safety of home by contributing to a goal
of 10 million steps to unlock a Php 1 million donation to LoveYourselfPH. In
just one month, participating employees were able to collect a total of 23.4
million steps, doubling the original goal. Because of this, P&G is also
doubling its donation to more beneficiaries in other countries.
The event was closed by P&G’s President for Asia
Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Magesvaran Suranjan. Suranjan left the
organization with three requests: 1) to turn on active allyship to enable
everyone to bring out their best selves, 2) to understand the importance of
visibility in truly fostering an inclusive culture, and 3) to cherish and
celebrate our diversity in making the organization unique and united. Suranjan
also challenged the organization to keep the momentum in continuously making a
positive change towards full Equality & Inclusion.
PrideON truly triumphed over the limitations of the
pandemic, making this a truly historic event. As such, P&G continues to
stand with the LGBTQ+ community through and through. P&G recently shared
their program called Share The Care program where all parents, regardless of
sexual orientation or marital status, get equal paid benefits in caring for newborn
or newly-adopted children. This, along with the commitment to turn on active
allyship, is just one of the many more milestones to come in P&G's journey
to equality and inclusion for its consumers and for its people.
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