Equality & inclusion is a core P&G value. It’s critical to our success. Not a nice to have.

Despite the pandemic, our business is doing well. That leaves us in a privileged position, and comes with important responsibilities: This year, marked by crisis and uncertainty, sees heightened inequalities and tensions affecting minorities disproportionately. Equality & Inclusion is a core-value, and we stand up in these difficult times to fight inequalities and support the ones who experience discrimination.

Why does this matter more than ever in crisis? In a recent survey by McKinsey, more than one in four women are downsizing their careers or leaving their jobs due to COVID-19 and intense pressure to fulfill many roles. Community centers & support groups that LGBTQ+ persons rely on have closed because of lockdowns. Some people with disabilities are at a higher risk of infection because of their underlying medical conditions. That’s why it is very important, at this special point in time, to continue being intentional about diversity, equality and inclusion, no matter what the context is. I truly believe we’ve managed to be successful in this crisis thanks to the power of P&G people who are bringing diverse skills, experiences, passions, and viewpoints to keep serving our consumers, customers and communities. Diversity is an essential need and expectation of the millions of consumers we serve across Europe.

Our passion for Equality & Inclusion is part of our business strategy. It helps us to accelerate our ability to innovate, to solve problems that make meaningful differences for the consumers we serve, and to support the communities in which we live and work. I am committed to unlocking the full potential of P&G people by creating a workplace where all are welcome as they are, where all talents can contribute to their best, and every voice is heard. We have been championing E&I for decades - but we have more work to do. Now is a critical moment. We do not let the crisis push us back. We have a new global framework in place which we are bringing to life in Europe. We are setting higher standards and must continue stepping forward for tangible impact across E&I dimensions and our operations – for our employees, with our Brands, through our Business Partners and in our Communities:

1. We are accelerating to make progress towards Gender Equality and continue our efforts on LGBTQ+ and People with Disabilities - and we are adding Ethnicity to our commitment.

2. We create a company where equality and inclusion is achievable for all; where respect and inclusion are the cornerstones of our culture; where equal access and opportunity to learn, grow, succeed and thrive are available to everyone.  

Today, we invited all 32.000 P&Gers of Europe to engage on how we are driving tangible impact in our business by investing on E&I as a core business strategy. We invest in our employees, brands and partners. This was a call to action to all of us. E&I for P&G is not only about our employees, it is about growing our business, growing our brands while moving our society forward. I want to help build a company where everyone can bring her & his full self to work. We all need to be very intentional about how we bring together project teams, work teams, leadership teams. We must ask ourselves the question: What can we do to build a culture of diversity and inclusion? Do we have the breadth of styles, abilities, backgrounds that is going to enable us to find solutions and solve problems better than others, helping to serve our diverse consumers better than anyone?

We must ask ourselves: What can we do in our job to expand access and opportunity for diverse colleagues, diverse consumers, diverse customers and business partners to drive a stronger business and a more equal society? Each of us has a role to play in becoming active allies to drive Equality & Inclusion inside our walls and in our societies.