While most brands are rolling out high decibel festive season campaigns, cosmetics and beauty brand The Body Shop is celebrating this Diwali with a difference. The brand has partnered with Plastics for Change (PFC) India Foundation to ring in the festive season with a difference for female waste pickers.
It has launched an initiative called Project NARI (which stands for Nutrition, Ability, Retraining and Inclusion) to support the often overlooked group of female waste pickers, who play an important role in the fight against COVID-19.
Specifically designed to address the pressing economic and social issues that female waste workers face, the project will empower women waste pickers in Karnataka with the aim to positively impact their financial, health and family’s well-being in the long-term. The brand aims to create awareness and raise up to INR 5 million over the next six months towards the empowerment of these women.
Speaking about the initiative, Shriti Malhotra, CEO, The Body Shop India, explains, “The Body Shop remains deeply committed to the vision of our founder Anita Roddick that business can be a force for good.
Through project NARI, we continue to work with a spirit of activism and need to create awareness, raise funds to benefit local communities.” Speaking about the brand’s objective to drive real change, she adds, “This year, as we are all hit by the severity of COVID-19 pandemic, we realise how much we owe to these frontline warriors in keeping us safe at great risk to themselves. As we approach this festive season, we want to make a real difference to this community and celebrate the essential nature of the work they do to keep us all safe and healthy.”
