At TEDxWomen luncheon today in California, actress Salma Hayek is set to announce a new Gucci global campaign in support of female empowerment. Chime For Change, aims to raise awareness and funds internationally in support of women and girls. And who better to spearhead the campaign than Gucci’s creative director, Frida Giannini and superstar Beyonce Knowles?
“I have always felt strongly about equal opportunity for women. Girls have to be taught from early on that they are strong and capable of being anything they want to be,” said Knowles. “It’s up to us to change the statistics for women around the world. I’m honoured to be in the company of women who live fearlessly and set an example for the next generation of young ladies.”
And so, this morning, the campaign, which will focus on education, health and justice for women in association with partner organisation Catapult, will be launched by way of a short film detailing the scheme’s aims, narrated by Selma Hayek, to a backing track of new music by Knowles. It will be the first of a series of ten short films for Chime For Change featuring inspirational women’s stories.
“This is the emergency and the opportunity of today,” said Giannini. “We have reached a significant moment in the history of girls’ and women’s empowerment and now is the time for change. I think it is essential for girls and women to see and celebrate what is possible. I hope that through Chime we can help the voices calling for change to become so loud that they cannot be ignored.”
Joining Giannini, Knowles and Sayek is a high-profile advisory board of global advocates and experts including Meryl Street, Arianna Huffington, Julia Roberts, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gordon and Sarah Brown and Francois-Henri Pinault.
For more information, and to keep track of the Chime For Change Campaign visit Chimeforchange.org or the Facebook page.