Coca-Cola’s 5by20 reaches 1.2m women entrepreneurs
ATLANTA, April 14, 2016
The Coca-Cola Company's 5by20 initiative has reached a total of more than 1.2 million women entrepreneurs across 60 countries as at the end of last year, since its launch in 2010.
The 5by20 intitiative aims at the economic empowerment of five million women entrepreneurs across the Coca-Cola value chain by 2020, said a statement.
Last year saw more than 372,000 women entrepreneurs enabled by 5by20, increasing the total number of women participants by 43 per cent over the course of the year.
This growth can be attributed primarily to programmes scaling and replicating in the Eurasia- Africa and Asia-Pacific regions.
Bea Perez, chief sustainability officer, said: “We believe thriving, sustainable communities are critical for a sustainable business and women are absolutely essential to our success.
“We still have a significant amount of work to do, but I am proud of the progress we are making. It’s inspiring when I am able to meet the participants and see firsthand how 5by20 is transforming the lives of women, families and communities around the world.”
The initiative focuses on helping women entrepreneurs across the Coca-Cola value chain - agricultural producers, suppliers, distributors, retailers, recyclers and artisans - overcome challenges when establishing and growing their business.
By providing access to business skills, financial services, assets and support networks of peers and mentors, 5by20 is helping women succeed as entrepreneurs, while also helping create sustainable communities. - TradeArabia News Service
