Egyptian actor and philanthropist Amina Khalil established herself as an A-list advocate of women’s empowerment by participating in Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) #WeSeeEqual summit that aims to end persisting inequality that women and girls face around the world.
Khalil is known for her starring roles in many television series like Taraf
She shared her unique perspective on gender equality in P&G’s inaugural #WeSeeEqual Summit earlier this year. At the event, Khalil said she received incredible support from the women in her life. She stressed that while education was extremely important for girls, social and family influences can make a big difference in their lives.
As a #WeSeeEqual champion, Khalil was a key spokesperson in the Always panel discussion on gender equality across the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Africa (IMEA) region. The goal was to slowly but surely redefine the narrative around girls and women as agents of change.
She also touched on body shaming, a topic she is particularly vocal about, and her refusal to let negativity on social media stop her from making her goals happen. Khalil believes that accepting differences, endorsing the idea that all women are beautiful and appreciated, being supportive, and loving to each other is the way forward for the female population.
Although tradition has never prevented women from making history or pursuing careers that had a great impact on society – current customs and traditions may serve as an obstacle to women achieving equality, she added. In fact, women contribute to building an economy as much as men do and they should dream and aspire to be impactful in all sorts of ways possible. By denying women and girls their fundamental rights, societies are kept from reaching their full potential.
“When women get together, that’s when
#WeSeeEqual by P&G intends to spark conversations and motivate change for the cause of gender equality across the region. With operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide, P&G began its effort to empower millions of women over a decade ago, but it is only through the energy and involvement of young leaders like the Egyptian actor that the organization is able to create real change for girls.
In Egypt, P&G has sponsored a number of empowerment programs across the country’s rural areas including the ‘Teach and Educate Girls’ initiative by Always. Over the past decade, the company succeeded in educating hundreds of thousands of Egyptian girls and raising awareness on feminine hygiene.
In addition, P&G has invested two million dollars in women-owned businesses to support female entrepreneurship as well as equipping 60 young women in Upper Egypt with sales and business skills, providing them with products to sell and make a living.
P&G aims to spend $100m on working with female-owned businesses in the IMEA zone with plans to educate more than 23 million young girls about puberty and hygiene in a specialized program over the next three years.