The Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland Pledges Quarter of Million Pounds to Support Young Women

Press Release, 3 Mar 2021

London, March 4, 2021 - Today The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) UK & Ireland is delighted to announce a £250,000 commitment to two organisations that are dedicated to preparing disadvantaged young women to make plans for the future through work, education and training.

ELC UK & Ireland’s donation to Young Women’s Trust of £150,000 over three years will help the charity’s Work It Out programme impacting the lives of 1,000 disadvantaged young women each year. The company’s four-year commitment to The Prince’s Trust will support the trust’s Women Supporting Women programme.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many of the barriers girls and young women face to fulfilling their potential. ELC aims to help women and girls worldwide acquire the necessary tools and skills, with an emphasis on life and leadership skills, to become healthy and productive adults, to effect lasting change and break the cycle of poverty.

Sue Fox, Senior Vice President/ General Manager, ELC UK & Ireland, said: “We’re proud to support girls’ and women’s advancement, both within our business and in our local communities. This work is in our DNA, and together with our partners we’re striving to create a more inclusive world, one that fosters a culture of belonging and equity for all.”

Work It Out is a coaching service that supports young women between the ages of 18 - 30 from diverse backgrounds who are living on low or no pay to make plans for the future. Young women can book up to six free sessions with a coach who will assist on a range of areas from interview preparation to identifying personal skills and planning next steps in life. Work It Out also has a team of expert recruitment professionals who offer free advice on improving CVs, cover letters and job applications. The initiative has continued to offer this support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to online coaching sessions that offer women – including careers and mothers – the flexibility they need to access help and resources when and where it suits them.

Abigail Shapiro, CEO of Young Women’s Trust said: “We are delighted that The Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland has decided to support us as a partner organisation. We know that year on year, young women continue to face inequality in all areas of their lives, and the Coronavirus pandemic has made this even worse. ELC will help us to grow our free career coaching and CV feedback service so it supports a total of 5,000 young women each year. Together, we’ll help more young women to find work, set goals and improve their wellbeing. We are really excited to start working with ELC and grateful that they have chosen to help us in our mission to achieve economic justice for young women.”

Merle, who has benefitted from the coaching experience which helped her to survive a stressful job and showed her how to trust herself and pursue her dreams, said: “I have gone from feeling lost and passive, to standing up for myself and doing what is right even though it is scary. My experience with Work It Out made me aware that it is not only okay but vital to ask for help. The best thing is that I was able to give something back by becoming an ambassador for the programme. Now I encourage other young women to participate and spread the message about the hope of change.”

The Prince’s Trust’s Women Supporting Women campaign aims to raise £10 million by 2023 to provide vital support to help nurture, empower and inspire women aged between 16 - 25 to build their own futures through employment, self-employment, education or training. The courses offered by The Prince’s Trust give young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work. Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education or training. Through targeted social media campaigns, this programme continues to thrive in today’s virtual world.

Today ELC UK & Ireland is delighted to announce a £250,000 commitment to two organisations that are dedicated to preparing disadvantaged young women to make plans for the future through work, education and training.

Frances Milner, Director of Fundraising at The Prince’s Trust, said: “The pandemic has impacted all of us – and for many young women, their challenges seem insurmountable. During the pandemic, they may have lost their jobs, taken on greater caring responsibilities, been affected by domestic violence or mental illness. The Prince’s Trust helps these young women re-build their lives. The #ChangeAGirlsLife campaign aims to harness the power of brands and raise life-changing funds around International Women’s Day. It is more important than ever that we work together to support young women in the UK and drive real change for the next generation.”

Jazmin Lee, former mentee, said about the programme: “I have reached a much better place in my life, with a bright future!”

These new commitments build upon efforts across the company, its brands and The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation’s (ELCCF) Girls’ Education Initiative which aims to enhance girls’ access to quality education – particularly adolescent girls and young women –and provides the skills they need to bring about lasting change for themselves and their communities, while giving them the support to grow into leadership roles as women.

Last year ELC joined the United Nations Foundation 5 for 5 Initiative and developed a set of commitments to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 over the next five years. The company is working alongside other cross-sector leaders to make progress towards achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls around the world by addressing three specific goals: equality of leadership, equality of opportunity, and equality of access to health and education.

For more information on ELC’s commitments to gender equity and Girls’ Education Initiative, visit the fiscal year 2020 Citizenship and Sustainability Report.

About The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, Tommy Hilfiger, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Donna Karan New York, DKNY, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Michael Kors, Darphin, TOM FORD BEAUTY, Smashbox, Ermenegildo Zegna, AERIN, RODIN olio lusso, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, BECCA, Too Faced and Dr. Jart+.