L’Occitane and Its Empowerment Program for the Women of Burkina Faso
The L'Occitane en Provence brand, with several lines of specialized skin care products, was born in 1976, under the philosophy of using natural products, caring for ecosystems, and trying to maintain a balance and promote an attitude toward the contribution that each of us can make towards a sustainable world, under the motto of becoming cultivators of change
The Woman Post | Maria Claudia Londoño
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Around the eighties, the company focused on structuring support programs determined for the women of Burkina Faso, a country where the tree that produces the karité nuts, from which they extract the butter they have used for many years, due to their properties that make it a balm for relative or extremely dry skin, as well as hair because the hydrolipidic film restores and thus obtained softness.
The foundation of this cosmetic firm, also launched 2018 the Resist program (resilience, ecology, strengthening, independence, structuring, training) to empower women from this part of the globe.
The purpose is directed towards promoting their financial skills and enhancing the business ideas of the burkinabe women who become the economic support for one of the poorest countries worldwide through this activity.
The central ideas of this program, revolve around these points:
- • Karité trees protection
- • Establish organic areas for nut collection
- • Organize the supply chain
- • Expand your customer base for karité butter.
- • Enter other sources of income, such as devoting yourself to the production of Bissap.
What is the Bissap?
It is Senegal's national drink, taken from the flower, a plant that occurs in Africa. In Egypt, they know it as karkadé which is the one they offer you as a tourist when you travel for the Nile. It can be consumed cold or hot; it is restorative, digestive, and adjuvant in cases of hypertension. In addition, it can be used to prevent infections and treat fever.
Due to its varied properties, it is rich in vitamin C, organic acids, and flavonoids, as well as has a high pectin content, it can be used to prepare canned. It can be consumed in salad and included as a fresh ingredient in the preparation of cakes and sauces. It provides many business opportunities and stability.
In alliance with the NGO “Entrepreneurs du Monde,” the foundation of L’Occitane organized the contest "L'Occitane Pour Elles", thanks to which four winners were promoted to carry out the initiatives related to the cosmetic industry that allowed them to generate greater economic income, which finally benefit not only to not only women but additionally impact their family and social environment
For us in The Woman Post, it is key to especially highlight these types of companies with such valuable initiatives, because with actions such as access to education, training, and support to acquire economic independence, the women of each country to which these programs come to mobilize not only to those around them in their family nucleus but to a whole community, providing well -being and better quality of life.
Did you know this type of program? Do you think other companies should focus on these actions? We would like to know your opinion about it.
