NEW YORK/ACCRA/NAIROBI, OCTOBER 19 – UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, and Prada Group, are bringing together the Prada Group’s leading role in the fashion industry, and UNFPA’s expertise in promoting gender equality, in a unique and innovative partnership. The pilot programme, Fashion Expressions: The Stories She Wears, aims to leverage the social and economic power of fashion as a vehicle to promote women’s empowerment and sexual and reproductive health in a six-month training programme for young women in Ghana and Kenya.
The programme allows 30 young women in Ghana and 15 in Kenya to gain valuable experience and knowledge in a number of areas, including fashion design and production, with a focus on local traditions and styles, re/upcycled fashion, traditional textile design, and financial literacy, including bookkeeping, budgeting and business management. It will facilitate internships with local fashion companies to establish long-term work opportunities. In addition, it seeks to foster a deeper understanding of sexual and reproductive rights and reduce participants’ vulnerability to gendered inequalities and harmful practices. participants receive training in the prevention of and response to gender- based violence, equipping participants with valuable skills needed to help combat harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child marriages. The training pilot launched in May 2022 with two cohorts in Ghana and Kenya made up of young women with a passion for the fashion industry.
UNFPA and Prada Group formally entered into a partnership in 2021 and have been developing this unique training programme in collaboration with local partners International Needs (Ghana) and County Government of Kitui and the Kitui County Textile Centre (Kenya). UNFPA Ghana and Kenya are further partnering with established local fashion brands to facilitate 6-month local industrial attachments ensuring long-term employment opportunities.
“UNFPA is working with creative industries to find innovative ways to support young women from ‘left behind’ communities to access their rights and choices in order to unlock their full potential”, said Mariarosa Cutillo, Chief of Strategic Partnerships, UNFPA: Fashion is a powerful platform to provide long-term, sustainable education and development opportunities across the world. We are proud to launch our partnership with Prada Group and its people through this impactful programme that focuses on women’s economic inclusion, pushes boundaries for sustainable development solutions, and acts as a springboard for further collaboration in the years to come.”
According to Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Marketing Director and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, “this training programme reflects Prada Group’s belief in fashion as a force for good. We are honored to partner with UNFPA on this unique project to leverage the social and economic power of our industry to create more inclusive and equal societies.” (@OnuItalia)
