CHARLES & KEITH launches special edition bag in support of Gender Equality project by UN Women for International Women's Day

SINGAPORE, Feb. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CHARLES & KEITH is proud to celebrate International Women's Day by supporting UN Women's Storytelling for Gender Equality, reinforcing the brand's commitment to empower women and forge an inclusive world.

CHARLES & KEITH is embarking on a mission to raise funds for the programme, with the launch of a special-coloured edition of one of its best-selling handbag styles: The Alia.

The bag, available within a selected physical retail network and on CHARLESKEITH.COM from 23 February, comes in a purple hue – the colour historically linked with efforts to achieve gender equality and widely associated with contemporary feminism.

CHARLES & KEITH believes that storytelling is a powerful tool for advocacy as well as promoting equality and positive gender norms. The brand hopes to support the amplification of women's voices within the Asia-Pacific region through the partnership with non-profit organisation, UN Women. To demonstrate its commitment to the cause, CHARLES & KEITH has pledged a USD 100,000 donation, including 20% of all proceeds from this special edition handbag design, to fund Storytelling for Gender Equality. The project aims to build a network of women storytelling advocates around the region and bring their stories closer to a diversity of audiences to inspire positive social norms, policies to tackle violence, and create an environment in which survivors of violence against women feel free to speak up about their experiences.

"Storytelling transcends cultures, allowing people to connect with each other through shared experiences. Stories allow us to explore themes and topics that may otherwise be hidden or stigmatized, including women's experiences with violence. Storytelling about the realities of women and girls across the region informs and amplifies advocacy for social change, by challenging mainstream narratives, diversifying perspectives, and strengthening a sense of community - ultimately, opening the door for changing policies," Melissa Alvarado, Regional Manager on Ending Violence against Women, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

"In line with UN Women's own direction for the IWD moment which focuses on innovation and technology for gender equality, this project will directly support the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and address online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence. It is also our belief that bringing women into technology results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women's needs and promote gender equality," she added.

This year's International Women's Day brand campaign is fronted by in-house talents from various market offices – who gathered to share what equity means to them. They were joined by a special addition to the CHARLES & KEITH family: TikTok content creator and brand community ambassador, Zoe Gabriel.

With the concerted efforts around International Women's Day, CHARLES & KEITH hopes to create meaningful conversations, raise awareness on discrimination, and actively taking steps towards building a fair and equal society.

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