Unilever’s CSR, women economic empowerment & devt
By Princewill Ekwujuru
Before now, mission of businesses were primarily economic, but within the last few decades there have been shifts about companies Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) which have parallel and partly reflected the changing needs of the society.
Today, companies especially in the business sector are no longer viewed as totally private entity that are free to pursue their own ends.
Instead, their actions are seen as having public interest that go beyond serving customers and paying returns to business owners.
As a result in the public interest, the outcome of the above is a rising clamour for social responsibility on the part of businesses as well as other social organizations.
Nowadays, businesses have the task of knowing what to do to meet the demands of various claimants for CSR.
From Left: Mrs Hassana Adamu ,Niger State Commissioner for Gender Affairs and Social Development, Alhaji Idris Kuta, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Mr Thabo Mabe , Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc at the Unilever Women Empowerment Programme launch recently.
For example, what do they (companies) expect?. How do they define social responsibility and what particular responsibilities.? These questions and many more may have prompted Unilever Nigeria to move into building human capacity and investing in the social economic development of Nigeria with the launch of women empowerment programme aimed at training and equipping women with retailing skills to prepare them for retail business.
In the first phase of the programme the company believed that the training will see 1,000 women acquire the impetus for economic empowerment, latest by December 2012.
Speaking, Thabo Mabe, Managing Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc, said, “the programme is an opportunity for Unilever Nigeria to contribute to the economic development of Nigeria and make a difference in the lives of women in the low economic classes”.
Mabe noted that “they believed that women are very important for the development of modern societies and the crucial roles of women in communities range from mothers, home makers, builders of human characters and great care givers to the human race”.
“These 100 women selected in Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), Benue, Kogi, Nassarawa, Niger and Plateau States are the first batch of this programme whose first phase is aimed at training 1,000 women pan Nigeria latest end of year 2012”.
According to him, “the programme aligns with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals 1& 3 regarding Poverty Alleviation and Gender Equality. It is also in line with Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan to enhance the livelihoods of people across the Country.
The Managing Director went on to say that the Unilever Women Empowerment Programme is in line with key agenda of Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP), the Enhancing Livelihood Agenda, an agenda aimed at enhancing the livelihood of millions of people by investing in programmes that support the enhancement of their skills and available amenities across the 170 countries where Unilever operates.
