Press Release

Gucci launches New Global Campaign For Girls’ and Women’s Empowerment

Salma Hayek Pinault will announce CHIME FOR CHANGE, a new global campaign to raise funds and awareness for girls’ and women’s empowerment.

CHIME FOR CHANGE

Gucci launches a new global campaign for girls’ and women’s empowerment at TED2013, led by Frida Giannini, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Salma Hayek Pinault

February 28 2013, Long Beach, CA - At the TEDxWomen luncheon today, Salma Hayek Pinault will announce CHIME FOR CHANGE, founded by Gucci, a new global campaign to raise funds and awareness for girls’ and women’s empowerment. Representing fellow co-founders Frida Giannini and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as she launches the initiative, Hayek Pinault will present a short film that she narrates, with new music by Beyoncé, which will introduce CHIME FOR CHANGE to the world. Hayek Pinault will also present the first of ten CHIME FOR CHANGE short films, an extended trailer for THE SUPREME PRICE produced and directed by Joanna Lipper.

The film tells the story of Nigerian democracy activist Hafsat Abiola, who together with filmmaker Joanna Lipper will be present at the luncheon for a conversation moderated by TEDxWomen host Pat Mitchell.THE SUPREME PRICE is a 2012 Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund recipient and winner of the Spotlighting Women Documentary Award.

CHIME FOR CHANGE serves to convene, unite and strengthen voices speaking out for girls and women around the world and will focus on three key pillars: Education, Health and Justice. The campaign comes at a historic and pivotal moment for girls and women globally as the world’s attention is drawn to international stories ranging from Malala’s personal fight for education in Pakistan to headlines of violence against women in all corners of the world, including India, Ireland, South Africa and the United States.

More than just raising awareness, CHIME FOR CHANGE, through its partner Catapult, encourages people throughout the world to support girls’ and womens’ projects in a personalized, individual way. Catapult enables citizen philanthropy and is the first crowd-funding platform dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women. Catapult connects CHIME FOR CHANGE community members directly to organizations and projects focused on the causes that matter most to them, and currently represents over 50 organizations in 38 countries.

“This is the emergency and the opportunity of today,” said Gucci Creative Director and CHIME FOR CHANGE co-founder Frida Giannini. “We have reached a significant moment in the history of girls’ and women’s empowerment and now is the time for change. I think it is essential for girls and women to see and celebrate what is possible. I hope that through CHIME we can help the voices calling for change to become so loud that they cannot be ignored.”

Gucci has a long history of engagement with girls’ and women’s issues, including a seven-year relationship with UNICEF in support of girls’ education. In addition, the company founded two women’s film awards, the Spotlighting Women Documentary Award with the Tribeca Film Institute and the Gucci Award for Women in Cinema with the Venice Film Festival. Gucci also actively supports the PPR Corporate Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights; both Frida Giannini and Salma Hayek Pinault are members of the Board.

“I am proud to be joining the growing international movement on behalf of girls and women around the world,” said Salma Hayek Pinault, co-founder of CHIME FOR CHANGE. “I believe that by working together we can change the course of history to ensure that girls and women are empowered to realize their potential and thrive.”

Co-founder Beyoncé Knowles-Carter said "I have always felt strongly about equal opportunity for women. Girls have to be taught from early on that they are strong and capable of being anything they want to be. It’s up to us to change the statistics for women around the world. I’m honored to be in the company of women who live fearlessly and set an example for the next generation of young ladies."

Gucci recognizes the capacity that it has as a globally influential brand to effect real change, and is bringing together a range of leading organizations and individuals to strengthen the impact of CHIME FOR CHANGE. Strategic partners include the PPR Corporate Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Facebook, Hearst Magazines, and Catapult. Additionally, The Huffington Post has joined as a digital media partner.

"I am convinced that across the planet, women are at the heart of the equilibrium of our communities. There is a need to transform words into action and find new ways to enable and empower girls and women,” said PPR Chairman François-Henri Pinault. “I am excited and proud that PPR, through Gucci and our Foundation, is able to support CHIME FOR CHANGE. At PPR, women form the majority of our employees as well as the majority of our customers. I hope that this initiative, shared with other individuals and organizations, will contribute to making a change for the better for women and their communities around the world."

CHIME FOR CHANGE leadership is joined by an Advisory Board of issues experts, advocates and global leaders, including Hafsat Abiola, Muna AbuSulayman, Jimmie Briggs, Gordon and Sarah Brown, Lydia Cacho, David Carey, Joanne Crewes, Waris Dirie, Yasmeen Hassan, Arianna Huffington, Musimbi Kanyoro, John Legend, Pat Mitchell, Alyse Nelson, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, François-Henri Pinault, Jada Pinkett Smith, Julia Roberts, Jill Sheffield, Caryl Stern, Meryl Streep, and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Mpho Tutu, among others.

The movement aims to provoke, collect and share powerful stories of girls and women globally. Managing Editor Mariane Pearl leads a journalism platform of original content, further supported by the International Herald Tribune and the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Salma Hayek Pinault will be executive producer of a film unit dedicated to creating ten short films about inspiring girls and women from around the world, and will curate and highlight user-generated short videos submitted to the CHIME FOR CHANGE community.

CHIME FOR CHANGE will continue to update its community with exciting news, including a major announcement in mid-March about a global CHIME FOR CHANGE event that will put girls’ and women’s issues on the world’s stage.

To stay informed, visit www.chimeforchange.org and join our community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/chimeforchange.

Images from the TEDxWomen and Gucci luncheon will be available to download from 3pm PST from http://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr183923562

To view the manifesto film and download the imagery, logos and the press pack for the CHIME FOR CHANGE campaign please click http://www.chimeforchange.org/

To view The Supreme Price please click www.youtube.com/chimeforchange

CHIME FOR CHANGE Manifesto

Throughout history, women have done things differently.
When we need to get something done, we do it together.
With each new generation our story has spread wider.
The voices telling it braver, more powerful.

But the story is far from over. These are extraordinary times.
Thanks to technology, women across the world have the ability to connect in ways unimaginable to those
who went before us.
We believe that connection empowers us.

We are proud to be joining a growing movement of many.
The young and the old, women and men, from all cultures and all walks of life who want to see change.
Not one, but billions of voices calling for the empowerment of girls and women. Empowerment through education, through health, through justice.

This is about hearing a call – to join us wherever you are. About raising an alarm – drawing attention where there is work to be done.
Our issues are the world’s issues.

This is the sound of courage.
This is the sound of progress.
This is the sound of change.

GUCCI

Founded in Florence in 1921, Gucci is one of the world's leading luxury fashion brands.

With a renowned reputation for quality and Italian craftsmanship, Gucci designs, manufactures and distributes highly desirable products such as leather goods (handbags, small leather goods, and luggage), shoes, ready-to wear, silks, timepieces and fine jewellery. Eyewear and fragrances are manufactured and distributed under license by global industry leaders in these two sectors.

Alongside the values of quality, creativity and Italian artisanal craftsmanship, for which the brand is renowned, Gucci also believes in the importance of a responsible attitude towards people, the environment and the communities in which it operates. Corporate citizenship is a fundamental part of the mission and operating philosophy of the company.

For more information about Gucci, please visit www.gucci.com

The PPR Corporate Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights

The PPR Corporate Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights combats violence against women and promotes women’s empowerment. Launched in January 2009, the PPR Foundation supports community-based projects and encourages employee involvement to sustain women’s causes around the world.

Through four programmes, it supports local and international NGOs as well as social entrepreneurs, helps raise awareness and established joint projects with the PPR brands. In 2012, more than 80,000 women benefited from its support in 16 countries. www.fondationppr.org @FondationPPR

Facebook

Founded in 2004, Facebook's mission is to make the world more open and connected. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what's going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.

Catapult

Catapult is the first crowd funding platform solely dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women around the world. Catapult connects trusted organizations with a new global audience to increase funds and engagement. Organizations can post projects online, and donors can browse and fund the issues that speak to them most. Every dollar donated goes to the organization and donors receive reports about the project's progress. Catapult beta launched on October 11, 2012, with the support of notable partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Fund for Women and the United Nations Population Fund. For more information go to www.catapult.org, and follow Catapult on Twitter: @wecatapult and Facebook at facebook.com/catapult.org.Catapult is a project of WOMEN DELIVER, a 501c(3) organization. Invest in girls and women. It pays!

Hearst Magazines

Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst Corporation, one of the nation’s largest diversified communications companies. Hearst Magazines is the largest publisher of monthly magazines in the U.S. (ABC 2012), reaching 83 million adults (Fall 2012 MRI) with its 20 titles. In addition the company published more than 300 editions around the world. Hearst Magazines Digital Media, dedicated to creating and implementing Hearst Magazines’ digital strategy, has more than 28 websites and 14 mobiles sites for brands such as Cosmopolitan, Popular Mechanics, ELLE, ELLE DECOR, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire and Seventeen, as well as digital-only sites such as Delish.com, a food site in partnership with MSN; MisQuinceMag.com; and RealBeauty.com. Hearst Magazines has published more than 150 apps and digital editions. In addition, the company includes iCrossing, a global digital marketing agency.

Founding Committee

Frida Giannini, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Salma Hayek Pinault.

Advisory Board

Hafsat Abiola, Muna AbuSulayman, Jimmie Briggs, Gordon and Sarah Brown, Lydia Cacho, David Carey, Joanne Crewes, Waris Dirie, Yasmeen Hassan, Arianna Huffington, Musimbi Kanyoro, John Legend, Pat Mitchell, Alyse Nelson, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, François-Henri Pinault, Jada Pinkett Smith, Julia Roberts, Jill Sheffield, Caryl Stern, Meryl Streep, and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Mpho Tutu, among others.

Strategic Partners

Strategic partners include the PPR Corporate Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights, Facebook, Hearst Magazines, Catapult, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The International Herald Tribune and the Thomson Reuters Foundation are partners of the CHIME FOR CHANGE journalism platform. Additionally, The Huffington Post has joined as a digital media partner.